Roleplaying

Not to be confused with Refuge Pointe or Runic Power.

Template:Roleplaying

Roleplaying (RP), or Role Playing, in World of Warcraft means taking on the role of a character and acting it out in-game through emotes, /say, /yell, and sometimes other channels. Players may also participate in roleplay outside the game by posting on blogs, wikis, or forums (official or otherwise). Roleplaying has similarities to improvisational theater, with the participants acting out characters in unscripted situations. The character's personality, goals, morals, and quirks may resemble that of the player or be completely different. Regardless, roleplayers recognize a boundary between what is in character and what is out of character.

RP also refers to RP Realms. There are several RP Servers available to Warcraft roleplayers. RP servers are functionally the same as PvE Servers, with added social rules and stricter naming enforcement.

The same is true for RP-PvP Servers and PvP Servers. Both sets of rules apply. RP-PvP is commonly misunderstood to mean that the roleplaying part is optional. In fact, these servers were started in response to petitioning from roleplayers, who felt that the ability to engage in PvP added realism.

Basic Expectations on RP Servers[]

In addition to Blizzard's normal In-Game Policies, players on Roleplaying servers are expected to abide by the rules outlined in the Role Playing Policy. In summary, players should:

Create a name that fits within the World of Warcraft universe. Remember that rules for Roleplaying servers are in addition to the regular Naming Policy. "Iwillcrushyou", "Roguesftw" and "Shammysrule" are examples of names that would be against the Roleplaying Naming Policy.
Stay in character in /say, /yell, in emotes, or any other channel used for roleplaying. This means no discussion of real life events or people in these areas. Players should also take the time to spell out words and phrases. Refrain from using internet jargon and acronyms such as "lol" or "pwn".
An example of what is to be expected on a role playing server, using a pirate theme based character:

-Ahoy mateys! Ya'll never guess what loot was that ol' witch packin' into the treasure chest

-All beak and no bite as usual Salty, spill the beans or take a walk down the plank!

Also, an example of what is NOT acceptable in a role playing server:

-rofl guys i just pwned 5 nubs in stv

-ORLY?

yarly!

Maintain a positive atmosphere for roleplaying. Harassment of other players is never tolerated.

Under certain circumstances, however, shorthand and acronyms are indeed used. In combat situations or raids, "battle jargon" is generally acceptable, as one would definitely evolve to convey the most strategy in the fewest and shortest words. Directing parties using fully worded "There is a patrol incoming, please move to my location", while atmospheric, would prove less effective than a brief "pat inc, cmere". Abusing "war lingo" outside of combat could be simply considered rude IC.

While it is not mandatory, several players and even entire guilds in role playing servers enjoy the creation of a background for their in-game characters, if you ask around several players will tell you about how their parents were slain by a tribe of trolls or when they applied for the stormwind army but were rejected due to not belonging to a royal family, some guilds even join together under the same cause and recruit people with similar backgrounds to their own in an effort to keep the members feeling related to each other and to make it feel like they're fighting for the same reason

Please note that rules about the General chat channel state that is required to be on-topic, not in-character. Traditionally, General is used on roleplaying servers in much the same way as it is on any other server type. However, many people on roleplaying servers enjoy maintaining the same character persona across all channels. Roleplaying on the General channel is infrequent but not uncommon.

Supporting Roleplay on RP Servers[]

Roleplayers are sometimes disappointed at the amount of out-of-character chat, inappropriate character names, or anti-roleplaying behavior seen on the official RP servers. Forum threads lamenting the state of enforcement are frequently seen on the official forums.

Blizzard Customer Service Representative Pavonum clarified how Blizzard handles RP server violations:^[1]

...we work reactively in response to players' reports. Thus, if you observe players attempting to disrupt roleplaying events through the use of verbal, physical, or visual harassment, I would encourage you to submit an in-game petition...

...it is contrary to our stance of not "policing" realms in search of policy violations -- which is, again, in line with the reactive nature of our investigation -- and partly because it is simply not logistically feasible to offer such a service, given the resources it would require. We urge you, however, to report any wrongdoing you observe...

-(Emphasis added)

Blizzard GMs do not go looking for RP violations. They address these issues entirely in response to player requests which means that going "Out of character" or not participating in role-play cannot be deemed as against any of Blizzard's policies or Term of Service or Uses. It is up to the community on each RP server to establish the degree of policy enforcement they wish to see. Lack of community enforcement is often why more serious players do not play on RP servers. Whereas one server's community may take a very strict approach to naming, another may be relatively lax. Rather than Blizzard GMs deciding how far to take it, it's up to the players themselves to "set the barometer" and determine what is acceptable or not. The GMs can then compare the infraction to the policy as worded, and apply disciplinary measures as required.

Thus, it is up to players on RP servers to proactively support the enforcement of the official RP server policies by reporting infractions to GMs.

References[]

↑ Pavonum 2006-10-14. #3 - Griefers - Some questions needing answers.. Old official Customer Service forum. Archived from the original on 2006-10-14.

External links[]

Official[]

Forums

Official World’s End Tavern forum for role-playing (US)

Official Role-Playing forum (EU)

Policy

Battle.net Support (US) Role-playing Realms Policy

Battle.net Support (EU) Role-Play Realm Policy

Info and resources[]

Fashion

WoW Roleplay Gear Inspirational roleplay and transmogrification outfits!

The Visual Roleplay Gear List Ironyca and Noelani's Roleplay Gear List

Kirina's Closet Ideas for World of Warcraft RP Outfits

Info

RP Made Simple Putting the RP back into MMORPGs. Home of the RP Survival Guide, for new and old roleplayers and non-roleplayers to learn about RP.

Roleplay at Thalanaar.org Conversational primer on Roleplay for new players.

Dramatis Personae A WoW roleplay community with race-themed monthly events with prizes, as well as a decent-sized community of immersive roleplayers.

Common Role Playing Code (CRPC) at WoWRP

WowInsider All the World's a Stage a series of blogs with helpful hints, tips and tricks on the art of roleplay in WoW

WowInsider Roleplaying a race change for your character

WowInsider How do you reconcile faction disloyalty in roleplay?

WowInsider What happens when players take a break from roleplay?

WowInsider 3 red flags that your roleplay is getting out of hand

WowInsider Why public roleplay is a critical part of roleplay servers

WowInsider Roleplay realms and the struggle of non-roleplayers

WowInsider 3 things to remember when you encounter a new roleplayer

WowInsider 5 things new roleplayers need to know

WowInsider The trials and tribulations of being a raiding roleplayer

WowInsider Help your roleplay character along with a character questionnaire

WowInsider Roleplaying for laughs

WowInsider How to assemble a character history for your roleplaying character

WowInsider All the World's a Stage: Roleplaying plot points Q&A

WowInsider Roleplaying the eternal question of Deathwing's demise

WowInsider Beginner Roleplay: Choosing sides

WowInsider Drama Mamas: When roleplayed love is in the air

Locations

WowInsider 5 hidden hangouts for roleplayers in Mists of Pandaria

WowInsider 5 great group roleplaying hangouts in Mists of Pandaria

WowInsider 5 upcoming hot spots for roleplay in Mists of Pandaria

WowInsider 5 creepy Outland locations for roleplaying evil misdeeds

WowInsider 5 Outland getaways for vacationing roleplayers

WowInsider 5 Eastern Kingdoms haunts for roleplaying villains

WowInsider 5 creepy Kalimdor lairs for roleplaying villains

WowInsider 5 Eastern Kingdoms getaways for vacationing roleplayers

WowInsider 5 Kalimdor getaways for vacationing roleplayers

WowInsider 5 great spots for group roleplay

Resources

MMO Champion Roleplaying Forums MMO Champion's official roleplaying forum; Formal character creation, and troll-free.

WoWRP at Wikia Sister Warcraft and WoW RP site to WoWWiki.

Unofficial Warcraft Role Play Forums Forum Role Play, Game Event Postings, and Lore Information.

WoW Role Play Podcasts[]

Hearthstone Tavern A Warcraft RP podcast highlighting the RP in MMORPGs.

RETIRED WoW Role Play Podcasts[]

Essence of RP with Kexman and Almighty Farseer on WCradio. (updated nearly daily as of November 25, 2009-RETIRED)

Epic Dolls Featuring sightseeing guides, RPing tips, audio dramas, and more! (last updated September 3, 2009 -RETIRED)

Mischief and Mayhem (last updated June, 2008-RETIRED)

[1] Pavonum 2006-10-14. #3 - Griefers - Some questions needing answers.. Old official Customer Service forum. Archived from the original on 2006-10-14.

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