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Immersive RP vs Avatar RP vs Self RP vs ?? - Printable Version

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RE: Immersive RP vs Avatar RP vs Self RP vs ?? - Erah'sae - 01-22-2018

(01-22-2018, 08:32 PM)Symphony Wrote:
(01-22-2018, 01:36 PM)Aegir Wrote: Yah that makes sense. I don't think I'm an immersive RPer, because I like to have a lot of OOC chat during and outside of RP. It's pretty interesting.

Being immersive doesn't restrict you from chatting OOC.  It's just that doing too much of it in the middle of the scene breaks the immersion.  I don't see why it would be a problem outside of RP though?

For some people knowing the other folks you're RPing with rather well outside of RP can make keeping the IC RP organic.  Bleed through happens both ways.  

For example, It's really hard for me to keep people out of their characters when responding to them.  I'm more likely to be more lenient ICly with a friend or to steer RP towards stuff they enjoy more then let the character respond authentically.  This is especially true when in situations that define relationships (not the romantic kind, but interpersonal.  IE: an adversary is still a relationship between people).  IC bonds get made easier when you're chatting with the person behind the scenes.  It's easy to get caught up in possibilities and stories that way work out ways the characters can mesh even if it wouldn't otherwise organically happen.

Mind you, I do a lot of OOC chatting, just not much with those I'm currently ICly interacting with.   That said, it's been a while since I've done really serious RP like that.  (read: years)  I don't think there are enough living world style immersive RPers, even on Balmung to make it work.


RE: Immersive RP vs Avatar RP vs Self RP vs ?? - Symphony - 01-23-2018

(01-22-2018, 10:54 PM)Erah Wrote: For some people knowing the other folks you're RPing with rather well outside of RP can make keeping the IC RP organic.  Bleed through happens both ways.  

For example, It's really hard for me to keep people out of their characters when responding to them.  I'm more likely to be more lenient ICly with a friend or to steer RP towards stuff they enjoy more then let the character respond authentically.  This is especially true when in situations that define relationships (not the romantic kind, but interpersonal.  IE: an adversary is still a relationship between people).  IC bonds get made easier when you're chatting with the person behind the scenes.  It's easy to get caught up in possibilities and stories that way work out ways the characters can mesh even if it wouldn't otherwise organically happen.

Mind you, I do a lot of OOC chatting, just not much with those I'm currently ICly interacting with.   That said, it's been a while since I've done really serious RP like that.  (read: years)  I don't think there are enough living world style immersive RPers, even on Balmung to make it work.

Yeah, I can understand that, and I'm with you on how long it's been since I've dived deep in a RP.  I see people here and there walking around ICly outside of the Quicksand so hopefully I find a group of them.  I'm looking at a potential FC at the moment.


RE: Immersive RP vs Avatar RP vs Self RP vs ?? - Iteza - 01-24-2018

I'm not sure what my rp style would be qualified as, though I find it is almost the far opposite extreme of self rp. I write rp as though I am an author to a narrative. I don't see my characters as any extension of myself and I don't project any of my own feelings or thoughts into my characters. If we happen to align in values, it's completely coincidental. 

I think what this allows me to do is separate myself from this character I'm authoring and really take a step back and look at rp like a narrative. For instance, people naturally like to win, but if I see an opportunity for growth in loss, I'll try to write my character into the loss, if I can. I like to story weave and so I see my characters like I would see any other character in a book. The difference is that I get a creative say in their contribution to the story at hand. Rp to me is a collaborative writing project.


RE: Immersive RP vs Avatar RP vs Self RP vs ?? - Gegenji - 01-24-2018

(01-24-2018, 02:23 PM)Iteza Wrote: I'm not sure what my rp style would be qualified as

I'm sort of in the same boat - not knowing what I would really qualify as. I do keep my character and myself separate, but I do also RP as the character - getting into that sort of method acting thing others have mentioned. In doing so, of course, some of my own personal feelings seep in but I do try to keep that to a minimum. I'm only human, though, so there's been times where I've felt upset because of how someone treated my character... but it's usually a passing thing.

To further kind of cement that sort of "Actor" style, while I'm perfectly fine doing more... off the cuff improv-style RP (mostly because I do think it interesting and I need the practice), I am also sort of actor-like in that I do also like having a general idea for the scene I'm acting out beforehand. I don't mean like... knowing how everything will go, but having that sort of "base idea" for the scene - why they're there and the basic goal my character might be striving for.

Example: RPing going to the market with a student to get supplies for cooking lessons. General idea of where the scene is taking place and a vague idea of the goal. It can derail into something else, or other things could happen during it, but having that base scene to run off is nice. And sometimes having a base framework is also nice if you're delving into topics you or your RP partner(s) might have Opinions on - that way you can discuss limits and things like that ahead of time.

That said, I also enjoy just sort of chatting OOCly with my RP partner or others while I RP anyway... either commenting on what's going on or just generally shooting the breeze in-between posts. Blush


RE: Immersive RP vs Avatar RP vs Self RP vs ?? - Jaran - 01-24-2018

So, before playing on FFXIV (or WoW) I used to play on a few other games and with a number of other communities. The way that a lot of people broke down different RPing 'styles' (from an OOC/IC meshing perspective) in these communities was to classify it as one of three things: Social, Persona and Strict. 

Social was more or less playing as just yourself, but with an avatar or character that may not have looked like you outside the game or screen. The roleplay done was not so much intended to be you playing a character, but rather attempting to break the boundaries and limitations of distance and reach for deeper connections in a social/OOC way. Often these were kept short to things like *hugs* or whatever else. There are no backstories, no alternate stories, etc. Most people in MMOs, I find, do this sort of thing and don't really consider it roleplay. 
If anyone has seen that 'Father of Light' show, then that's a perfect example of what I'm talking about here. 

Strict RP was more or less what others have said, and there are obviously varying degrees of it, too. But for the sake of brevity it was putting a hard and defining line between OOC and IC. Some people who do this sort of thing don't bother with OOC connections between those they RP with (as was mentioned) while others hop back and forth between this and OOC interactions with their RP partners. 
Either way, this is very much the 'author vs the character' mindset, and there is at least an attempt made to define and differentiate the two.

Persona was a lot like a blend of the two above (and more what you're talking about, I think, OP). There could be alternate backstories, characters that one made and emoted with and all of that, but the connections under all of that blended between strict and social for various reasons. 
One of the better examples that I can think of off the top of my head is a pair of friends of mine who are an OOC couple. They may dive into an RP world and play their characters as characters, but they also allow the lines of fiction and reality to blend, and happily so. 
Some characters may start out in a relationship together or they may have that as a goal, perhaps even with the intention being to strengthen the bonds they have OOC.

I know a lot of people make blending OOC/IC out to be something undesirable, but really it comes down to just finding your people and everyone being on the same page. There's nothing inherently wrong with any RP style as long as all parties consent and agree to it.

I've done all of these types of RP myself with varying degrees of success. I don't quite know how one would go about finding more of the 'Persona' type RPers on this game -- I've done a bit of searching on that myself, actually. I tend to keep my RP these days mostly on the strict side since that seems to be what most people are searching for, but you're definitely not alone!


RE: Immersive RP vs Avatar RP vs Self RP vs ?? - Scarlet Fisher - 01-25-2018

Lots of good stuff here. I particularly like the persona/strict categorization.

My expectations and style of RP predominately come from playing D&D, which I think matches the persona. I enjoy playing as a character where I set their motivations, but their circumstances are set by someone or something else. This gives me an opportunity to come up with how my character responds to the circumstances and changes as a result. I'm lucky enough to have found an FC that's perfect for that style: the officers design an overarching "campaign", allowing its members to figure out how their characters take part in and react to the story (and by extension, to each other).

I think one of the biggest challenges for RPers like me is trying to be less "reactive". I can't speak for anyone else, but  when I started RPing, I was under the impression that the only thing I can control is my character. I still have trouble coordinating with other players to help me tell a story about myself, or emote-ing NPCs to drive my story forward.


RE: Immersive RP vs Avatar RP vs Self RP vs ?? - Gegenji - 01-25-2018

(01-25-2018, 10:35 AM)Scarlet Fisher Wrote: I think one of the biggest challenges for RPers like me is trying to be less "reactive". I can't speak for anyone else, but  when I started RPing, I was under the impression that the only thing I can control is my character. I still have trouble coordinating with other players to help me tell a story about myself, or emote-ing NPCs to drive my story forward.
I can feel you on that one. The other concern I think involved in that is being worried about being too... declarative? On what's going on. You don't want to be the sole driving force, saying what is and isn't happening (unless you're in that GM position, but you still don't want to railroad your participants)... and take away any of your partner(s)'s prerogative in the scene.


RE: Immersive RP vs Avatar RP vs Self RP vs ?? - Symphony - 01-25-2018

(01-24-2018, 09:38 PM)Jaran Wrote: So, before playing on FFXIV (or WoW) I used to play on a few other games and with a number of other communities. The way that a lot of people broke down different RPing 'styles' (from an OOC/IC meshing perspective) in these communities was to classify it as one of three things: Social, Persona and Strict. 

Social was more or less playing as just yourself, but with an avatar or character that may not have looked like you outside the game or screen. The roleplay done was not so much intended to be you playing a character, but rather attempting to break the boundaries and limitations of distance and reach for deeper connections in a social/OOC way. Often these were kept short to things like *hugs* or whatever else. There are no backstories, no alternate stories, etc. Most people in MMOs, I find, do this sort of thing and don't really consider it roleplay. 
If anyone has seen that 'Father of Light' show, then that's a perfect example of what I'm talking about here. 

Strict RP was more or less what others have said, and there are obviously varying degrees of it, too. But for the sake of brevity it was putting a hard and defining line between OOC and IC. Some people who do this sort of thing don't bother with OOC connections between those they RP with (as was mentioned) while others hop back and forth between this and OOC interactions with their RP partners. 
Either way, this is very much the 'author vs the character' mindset, and there is at least an attempt made to define and differentiate the two.

Persona was a lot like a blend of the two above (and more what you're talking about, I think, OP). There could be alternate backstories, characters that one made and emoted with and all of that, but the connections under all of that blended between strict and social for various reasons. 
One of the better examples that I can think of off the top of my head is a pair of friends of mine who are an OOC couple. They may dive into an RP world and play their characters as characters, but they also allow the lines of fiction and reality to blend, and happily so. 
Some characters may start out in a relationship together or they may have that as a goal, perhaps even with the intention being to strengthen the bonds they have OOC.

I know a lot of people make blending OOC/IC out to be something undesirable, but really it comes down to just finding your people and everyone being on the same page. There's nothing inherently wrong with any RP style as long as all parties consent and agree to it.

I've done all of these types of RP myself with varying degrees of success. I don't quite know how one would go about finding more of the 'Persona' type RPers on this game -- I've done a bit of searching on that myself, actually. I tend to keep my RP these days mostly on the strict side since that seems to be what most people are searching for, but you're definitely not alone!

Fascinating!  I've never heard of those categories but those are pretty useful.  And thank you!


RE: Immersive RP vs Avatar RP vs Self RP vs ?? - Erah'sae - 01-26-2018

(01-24-2018, 09:38 PM)Jaran Wrote: So, before playing on FFXIV (or WoW) I used to play on a few other games and with a number of other communities. The way that a lot of people broke down different RPing 'styles' (from an OOC/IC meshing perspective) in these communities was to classify it as one of three things: Social, Persona and Strict. 

...

I do like these definitions.  It's odd trying to blend answers to other people's definitions as there are so many ways to describe the many styles of play.  I guess by this set I prefer strict personally but persona seems to be the way to go in this day and age.

Quote:Scarlet Fisher

I think one of the biggest challenges for RPers like me is trying to be less "reactive". I can't speak for anyone else, but  when I started RPing, I was under the impression that the only thing I can control is my character. I still have trouble coordinating with other players to help me tell a story about myself, or emote-ing NPCs to drive my story forward.

I have so many hesitations on this myself.  I feel I have agency over my own creations.  I have issues with bending lore or declaring NPC actions It's difficult for me to push past that, especially when interacting with those I'm unfamiliar with.