#all their current friends they met through text based online rpgs

[goofballproximitysurveyor]

I kind of want to make a poll about your parents also being nerds bc i think it’s funny a lot of my friends either have at least one parent with more or less the same interests or they have extremely “normie” parents meanwhile I do have incredibly nerdy parents but they both have honestly pretty different interests from me we never have much to talk about in terms of that.

[aeolian-mode]

aeo’s guide to RP

Hey guys!

I’ve been roleplaying for the better half of my life, and I had the thought today, ‘you know what? It could be cool to make a thing about RPing that may help new RPers or young people learn more about it.’ So I made this. Read if you feel like it ^^ (FYI, this is all for text-based online RP things. Tabletop RPs are not part of this article.)

So, what is RP? I’ve always defined roleplay as ‘collaborative storytelling.’ You take control of a character that you invent, and write what your character will do in a situation with another individual.

Writing a book by yourself is sometimes difficult, because you have to rely solely on yourself, your own life experience, and your own resources. When you write a book with others, it’s a lot different. Your RP partners bring in their own interests and experiences. There is also the layer of mystery- you can’t predict what they will write next, which makes waiting for the next post exciting.

So if you have an original character you want to introduce to the world, RP is a great way to stretch your creative muscles and become a better writer before you try to tackle writing novels or making comics.

How do you RP? There are many ways to find a community of like-minded storytellers. First, you have to figure out what kind of RP you want to do. There are RP groups for fandoms, furries, original universes, and more! If you’re really interested in something, chances are, there is an RP community out there somewhere. This is the most important thing to understand: you should try to interact with others first rather than expecting them to find you. Most people are always extremely grateful and excited for the attention, and they will very likely return the favor. If you have anxiety, that’s ok- TONS of RPers struggle with anxiety, and I haven’t met a single person who has ever been upset or displeased to be approached by someone for RP. You will delight them, they will feel good to be included! 1. You can join an instant messaging RP such as a Discord group. (It’s sometimes more difficult to find these unless you already follow a lot of RP groups and have a lot of friends interested in RP. Post about it on your blog, see if anyone in your friend group is in one!) 2. You can create an RP blog on Tumblr. In order to find people to interact with, you will probably have to interact with other RP blogs first. The way I did it on my TF2 RP blog is to send messages to other blogs, draw the characters of every person that followed me or interacted with me, and tag my RP posts #tf2 rp. People LOVE drawings and direct interactions. 3. You can search for an RP forum to join. One of my go-to places is the RPG Directory: http://rpg-directory.com/ Sometimes, simply googling for something like “pokemon forum RP” helps, too!

4. You can join a MMORPG RP community. Most big-name MMOs have dedicated RP groups on their RP servers. For example, if you wanted to join ESO’s RP scene, check out the ESO RP forum to make connections before you jump into the game. People are usually very friendly and helpful for new RPers and will help you settle in to the community. Here’s some things to help you pick the game that’s right for you (from the list of games I have personally experienced RP): FFXIV ($15 Monthly Sub): https://ffxiv-roleplayers.com/ WoW ($15 Monthly Sub): https://us.battle.net/forums/en/wow/1182815/ ESO (Pay Once, Play Forever): https://www.eso-rp.com/ LotrO (Free to Play!): https://www.lotro.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?539-Laurelin-EN-RP  Wildstar (Free to Play!): https://www.wildstar-roleplay.com/

(As a note, Free to Play RP servers tend to be a bit more come-and-go; the subscription-based games tend to have more player retention. If you want to make long term connections, be sure to get friend requests from people you’ve enjoyed writing with, as they might not stick around forever!)

RP flows differently depending on your medium. Instant messaging generally tends to be more fast paced, but results in shorter posts with less descriptions and exposition. Forum RP tends to be much slower paced, but posts are more detailed and lengthy with lots of exposition. MMO RP tends to be incredibly fast paced, but with very little exposition and description, focusing almost entirely on character actions and dialogue (as the video game environment already provides the visual, reducing the need for description). Pick a pacing that is right for you! For me, forums are currently easiest, because my life is busy and I don’t have to be online all the time to have a good story. What are the rules of RP?

A lot of people will say, “the 3 main things you need to avoid are ‘godmoding’, ‘powerplaying’, and ‘metagaming.’ “Godmoding” is taking control of someone else’s character without their consent. In RP, it’s important to write only your own character during interactions. “Powerplaying” is bending the story around your own will. Such as: writing your character as if they are impervious and can easily take over the world with their unlimited power. (For example, your partner’s character is angry with your character and throws a punch at them. Your character avoids the punch effortlessly, grabs the attacker’s hand, breaks it, then tosses them through a window.) “Metagaming” is giving your character knowledge that you have, but your character does not have. (For example, someone told you about the contents of their character’s secret journal out of character, but your character did not read that journal, you should not assume your character knows that information.)

However, I would say these are only symptoms of one simple issue: lack of consent.

Before doing something that could change the story in a significant way, simply ask the people you are RPing with if it is OK with them.

So, I would boil down the ‘most important RP rule’ as simply one rule: the Rule of Consent. It doesn’t just apply to mature topics. It applies to everything.

Communication is key! Chances are, people will be OK with accommodating your vision for the story, or helping you come up with a way to make it work. Before doing something extreme like instigating violence, coming across sensitive information, or introducing a significant conflict, simply communicate your ideas out-of-character to your partners before pursuing it. You will have a much better experience if you simply communicate!

Are there RP taboos I should avoid? How do I stay safe if I want to RP but I’m a minor?

This is a bit of a touchier topic, but the rule of thumb is: If it’s gonna be weird and hard to talk about in person, in real life, and out-of-character, chances are, it’s going to be weird and hard to approach in an RP context. Many people RP as an escape from real-world drama and difficulties; don’t bog down their fantasy with the sorts of things they may be trying to avoid. Go back to the Rule of RP: Consent. Make sure your partner will be comfortable with exploring heavier, taboo topics in their fiction and storytelling. TL;DR- Some people don’t like Game of Thrones. Some people don’t want their RP environment to turn into Game of Thrones. Some people enjoy writing about heavier, ‘adult’ material, but don’t assume everyone does. Try to assume your partner is a minor unless they tell you otherwise. (Obvious exception being, if you explicitly joined an 18+ forum, community, guild, etc. The admins of said community should be doing their best to enforce that everyone joining is 18+.)

Don’t be creepy. RP is a hobby, community storytelling, and should be fun for everyone.

If it stops being fun for you, tell your partner it is not fun. You are not obligated to RP with someone who makes you unhappy or uncomfortable. It is a hobby. If you’re worried that they won’t be your friend anymore if you stop RPing with them, ask yourself if that is because they are manipulating you. A real friend will not make you feel trapped.

And if you are a minor, make sure that you stay safe. Don’t join an 18+ community. Don’t ever give someone your personal information, even if they seem like your friend. It’s very easy to get emotionally invested in the stories you tell through RP, but predators are very good at manipulation. View RP as a creative outlet. Look for an RP community that is right for you, and surround yourself with like-minded people.

Practice emotionally distancing yourself from the content of your stories. It’s good and fun to get invested, but don’t become so invested in the story that it induces anxiety, stress, or makes it hard for you to focus on your real life responsibilities. If something is causing you anxiety, panic episodes, or difficulty sleeping and focusing, listen to your body. It’s telling you something isn’t right. Talk about it with someone you trust, and start distancing yourself from the RP.

RP is for fun! Always remember that. Everyone you RP with should respect that it is for fun, and not something to lose sleep over!

I’m having trouble finding RP partners, getting people to stay interested in my story, or staying interested in it myself. What do I do?

I’ve found that the best way to stay invested and get people interested in your story is to give your character a very strong, attainable goal. Here is an example of a “difficult to RP” character concept. Tim the Traveller is mute. He goes around the world looking for people to help, because he’s a very powerful magic healer. He has no family and no home. People have trouble communicating with him because he can’t talk. But he does his best to help. This character is difficult to RP with because he places the onus of every interaction on the other person. He is involving himself in their stories, but he has no personal goals or challenges to explore, himself. Plus, being mute, it makes it more difficult for him to carry on lengthy conversations with the people he encounters. This character concept can be done in a fun and effective way, but I’d say it is a challenge for someone who is just starting out. Let’s see what we can do to make Tim the Traveller a bit easier to RP with. Tim the Traveller suffered severe burns all over him from an incident when he was a child: a criminal set fire to his parent’s house, killing his father. He is searching the world for where the arsonist fled to. He only has a loose trail of breadcrumbs to follow in his quest for revenge and must constantly search for more information and change trajectories. He attempts to help those he comes across during his travels, but always takes his opportunity to press people for more information, describing the arsonist and praying desperately that he will find a trace of the man that killed his father. This sort of idea of a plot allows you to communicate to your RP partners OOC what your character’s goals are, give them information that they might help your character continue his quest, and in turn, your character also has opportunities to help them with their own goals at the same time. One RP I’ve done in the past that was fun was a case of a grave robber. My character was an incredibly poor street rat-turned-detective, and he was approached with an unusual case: a grave was dug up by a necromancer, the body tampered with, but it was placed back in the grave and the perpetrator was nowhere to be seen. My character was strongly motivated to find the perpetrator because he needed the reward money to take care of his adopted son. With limited information concerning the plot, my character travelled all over the city asking everyone he encountered for whatever information they might have regarding the tampered grave. This allowed me to involve a lot of people in the community and allowed my GM to construct opportunities for those involved to find more evidence, and developed into a very rich and interesting story.

A passive character is harder to RP with. An active character makes things happen.

 A wallflower RP character can be fun to play in some circumstances, but without an attainable goal, involving others in your story will be harder. Give them goals and motivations, communicate with your RP partners, and see what sorts of stories can be told!

My RP never goes anywhere. I write starters/approach people, but every interaction I have with people doesn’t ever result in anything. What am I doing wrong? I have found, in my RP experience, your connections will feel more in-depth and your RP more rewarding if you try and see how your character and your friend’s character can develop and change over time. This requires some thinking, plotting, and openness to new ideas. It also requires challenging yourself to write lengthier posts for your partner.

For interesting interactions that go deeper than simple introductions and “how’s the weather” RP, it is beneficial to try and include a few things in your starter post or scene. For me, I like to come up with 3 things to include for every starter I write.

1. A clearly defined setting. Like, what’s the time of day? Is it indoors or outdoors? In a city? Somewhere private? Etc.

2. A motive. Why is your character doing what he’s doing right now? What does he want in the scene right now? If he’s just standing around doing nothing, your RP partner has nothing to latch on to. In some way, what he’s doing should tie back to a goal.

3. A connection to your RP partner’s character in some way. Why is their character, specifically, involved in the scene? Know your partner, and try to learn about your partner’s character’s goals. See if both of your characters’ goals can converge.

If you have trouble coming up with an idea for your RP partner, it’s always nice to message them OOC see what you can plot together. If you approach, rather than be approached, and ask questions and try to plot, you will find you have a much easier time easing into RP with them, and you might make a new friend too!

And that’s it for now! The TL;DR to all this is: 1. Follow the Rule of Consent! 2. Give your character goals and motivations! 3. Learn about your partner’s character and actively involve them! If you have additional questions or want to know where I RP at, feel free to send me a message :D

[thomasroach]

Top RPG News Of The Week: March 24th (Bethesda, The Outer Worlds, Bloodlines 2 and More!)

The post Top RPG News Of The Week: March 24th (Bethesda, The Outer Worlds, Bloodlines 2 and More!) appeared first on Fextralife.

Happy weekend from Fextralife! If you’ve been too busy to keep up on the latest in the games we cover or are looking for a refresher we’ve got you covered! Here’s a bite-sized version of the Top RPG news of the week. Taste all the latest news across the Fextralife Wiki Network.

Check out the video above and read on for the text!

Xbox One

Furthering the range of retro games on the Xbox One backwards compatibility list, Konami’s Castlevania: Harmony of Despair joins this March.

The title that originally released on the Xbox 360 is now playable on Xbox One, if you don’t own the disc you can pick up the game for $15 from the Microsoft store, as well as character packs for a further few dollars.

Castlevania: Harmony of Despair is a multiplayer game, featuring characters sprites and locations from many Castlevania titles. Following the story of the cursed book Grimoire, where the story of the sinister citadel Castlevania is written. Players can join up to six players online in co-op, grouping up to gain powerful combo attacks together in this platformer game.

These backward compatible games can be purchased through the Xbox store or if you already own a copy simply insert the disc. The games will receive visual enhancements when played on newer systems with 4-times the pixel count on the base Xbox One and Xbox One S, while Xbox One X owners will be able to play the games with 16-times the original pixel count according to Microsoft.

To read more about this news, find it here in Xbox One Adds Backwards Compatibility For Castlevania: Harmony Of Despair.

Sekiro

Sekiro Shadows Die Twice got its gameplay trailer just days before its official release earlier this week

The latest trailer combines a number of areas that has been covered in previous trailers but this time goes into a little more detail in terms of combat mechanics. It firstly outlines the story behind Sekiro, as he is taken in by the The Owl, later gaining a new master, a young boy known as “The Divine Heir”. Appointed to him to protect as he is part of a rare bloodline, meaning he is hunted by the Ashina clan.

The video goes on share more about the Prosthetic Arm that Sekiro uses, and can be used with a range of tools or weapons which include grappling hook, axe, spear and Flame Vent. Each providing versatile ways to fight an enemy. You can also use Fire Crackers to aid you in confusing or stunning your opponent. We also get a see the Loaded Umbrella in action, which is whipped out at a moment’s notice.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice released on March 22nd on Playstation 4, Xbox One and PC. Don’t forget to check out what we thought of the game in our Sekiro Review: Shinobis Die Many Times.

To read more about this news, find it here in Sekiro Shadows Die Twice Gameplay Trailer Released.

Bethesda

In a post on Twitter Bethesda have shared a “save the date” for June 9th as they will be making their return to E3 2019, holding a press conference at 5:30pm PST.

What they will plan to show E3 goers is still much a mystery, with the exception of DOOM Eternal which is slated to release sometime this year. But if you look closer at the image shared in their tweet, #BE3 it is displayed in twinkling stars which could be pointing at Starfield. Further clues include a dragon flying in the background which could be related to Elder Scrolls VI. To have a better guess of what they could be showing, we’d have to take at look at last year’s reveals.

It was at last year’s E3 when Bethesda released more details about Fallout 76 as a multiplayer survival as well as the release date. The mobile game Elder Scrolls Blades was also announced. But one of the bigger reveals was Elder Scrolls VI being confirmed to be in the works as they shared a teaser trailer, but not much else was revealed about the title.

A new IP Starfield was also featured, a single player RPG set in space but its release seemed to be quite far in the future, as Bethesda shared they were looking at “next generation of gaming technology” hinting possibly at the next Playstation or Xbox console.

What do you think Bethesda will be showcasing this E3? Let us know in the comment below.

To read more about this news, find it here in Bethesda Confirms Attendance For E3 2019.

Google

Throwing their hat into the gaming ring, Google have announced their cloud gaming/platform Stadia, set to launch in 2019 in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and most European countries.

Google are launching their new platform Stadia, which provides gamers with an online gaming streaming platform, that will cover a wide variety of screens including desktop, laptop, TV, tablet and smartphone. The platform was unveiled at GDC 2019 by Phil Harrison the Vice President and General Manager of Google.

But not only will the streaming service exist within the platform itself, but can be accessed through sites such as Youtube, allowing the viewer to play the game through the browser. While current consoles are limited to hardware performance, Stadia is hosted by the Google data center which means pretty much any device can access the game, even switching from a laptop to phone mid-game is possible.

Google argues that their platform will provide low latency compared with current gaming systems as all the gameplay takes place through their data centers. This will be great for those who will want a choice in how they game as well as cutting down the limitation when it comes to hardware. But of course this all relies on a decent and stable internet connection.

Currently Google have yet to share whether this will be a subscription based service, the list of games they’ll carry and what pricing features that it will offer. However, Doom Eternal has already been revealed to be one of the games to appear on Stadia and it will run in 4k resolution at 60 fps.

To read more about this news, find it here in Google Reveals Their Cloud Gaming Platform Stadia.

Sega

In order to gain feedback from Sega fans, the developer is now hosting a survey hoping to gain insight in what players want for their most popular franchises.

In a bid “to help us determine the next steps for some of our most popular series, including Sonic the Hedgehog, Yakuza, Valkyria Chronicles, Phantasy Star, and more” Sega are hosting a survey. While the questions are pretty standard asking the usual what consoles or devices you use to play games, whether you plan to purchase any new items in the next year, there are a few that concentrate on some of the most iconic titles in their series of games.

Titles listed in the survey include Yakuza, Sonic the Hedgehog, Valkyria Chronicles, Shenmue, Bayonetta and more.

They not only ask about whether fans want more content for these games but if they are interested in a remake, remaster or even sequel. By completing the survey Sega fans in America have a chance to win a gift certificate for the Sega Online Store, Nintendo eShop, Playstation Store or Xbox/Microsoft Store. Not a bad way to help Sega decide what to work on next, and for a chance for fans to win something.

To read more about this news, find it here in Sega Is Hosting A Player Survey Including Valkyria Chronicles, Shenmue And More.

The Outer Worlds

Obsidian Entertainment and Private Division announce that upcoming sci-fi RPG The Outer Worlds will be partnering with Epic, meaning that come launch day it will be available on the Epic Games and the Windows Store for its PC launch.

This means that The Outer Worlds will not be available on Steam for PC fans at launch. However, this might not mean that it won’t be available on Steam forever, as this will be a part of a one year exclusive agreement and the tweet mentions “other digital platforms 12 months later”.

This is fast becoming a new choice for developers and publishers to strike up a first year launch deal with Epic. Only last week, X-COM creator Julian Gollop made a similar move for his upcoming mutant turned-based title Phoenix Point. This was met with its own controversy due its crowd funded history.

While this situation seems a little different as Obsidian are still offering PC players the option to purchase through the Windows Store as well. Time will only tell if more developers will go down this route and if more exclusives will be on the horizon.

The Outer Worlds will be launching exclusively on the Epic Games Store as well as the Windows Store for PC, PS4 and Xbox One with no release date announced as of yet.

To read more about this news, find it here in The Outer Worlds To Launch On Epic Games Store And Windows Store.

Monster Hunter World

Announced via the Steam page, Capcom outline the features of the upcoming High Resolution Texture Pack DLC for Monster Hunter World that will be available for free via Steam. The update 5.2. will go live on April 4th at 00:00am UTC, which contains the graphics update and some new features.

Major features include added support for High Resolution Texture Pack DLC, which will require a minumum of 40GB free space and 8 GB of graphic memory.

Other features include a “Take All” option at the rewards screen after completing quests.

A new mouse control will be added to allow less sensitivity when it comes to unintentional movement as well as a “Friends Can Join” option will be added to the Private Sessions Settings.

To read more about this news, find it here in Monster Hunter World On PC To Get Free High Resolution Texture DLC.

Sekiro

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice had its release on the March 22nd, bringing FromSoftware’s newest IP to the public. While it’s not been that long since the official release, it hasn’t taken Lance McDonald long to uncover something. Known for his exploration into FromSoftware games, McDonald has shared in his latest video a photo mode that was cut from the final release of Sekiro.

The video features a debug camera which is used to take screenshots from the game during development that can open up a number of angles and views. As McDonald explores a fight scene early on in the game, it just goes to show the freedom of movement this camera allows, grabbing different views of the same scene. The footage is quite amazing as you can see things happening from all angles, showing a lot of detail in these frozen moments.

You may be wondering what else can be found in terms of cut content of Sekiro. From past findings, McDonald has discovered a cut boss from Bloodborne, cut scenes, the purpose of the Yharnam Stone, and a host of reveals. But according to his latest video he will not be sharing anymore cut content from Sekiro “until a lot more time has past”.

To read more about this news, find it here in Sekiro Shadows Die Twice Deleted Photo Mode Uncovered.

Vampire: Masquerade – Bloodlines 2

Paradox have unveiled their sequel to their 2004 RPG, Vampire: The Masquerades – Bloodlines 2 which was shared at GDC 2019. This title is neither a remake or remaster but a full sequel to their previous game. Set as a first person action-RPG the sequel takes place years after the events of Bloodlines. The game will feature a new city, Seattle Washington as its backdrop.

Bloodlines 2 will follow the story of a young vampire as well as various vampire clans which is met with political factions all fighting for the control of the city. The gameplay will take on stealth and first-person combat which includes some supernatural vampire powers. Brian Mistoda who was the designer and writer of the first Bloodlines will be returning to work on the sequel as lead narrative designer.

If you were hoping the sequel will drop sometime soon, you’ll have to wait until next year but eager fans can already pre-order through a number of ways including Steam, the Epic Store, GOG and on Paradox’s store.

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 is set to release on PC and consoles sometime next year in 2020.

To read more about this news, find it here in Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 Announced For 2020; Pre-Order Editions.

Well, that’s it for the Week in Wikis. Please join us next week for yet another great week of gaming! Remember to check out our VIP program for some exclusive supporter benefits, and budding writers should take advantage of our Become an Author initiative! Thanks again for being a part of this great community. Keep checking in with us for news, reviews, YouTube streams and vids, and general wiki goodness!

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The post Top RPG News Of The Week: March 24th (Bethesda, The Outer Worlds, Bloodlines 2 and More!) appeared first on Fextralife.

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