Current state of RP

Right, been discussing this with quite some people and I thought I should bring it here aswell. Basically, here is what I am a wondering; In your own words and own opinion, what do you think about the current state of RP now that we are almost three months into Cataclysm?

In my personal opinion and observations, good RP is more and more rare to find while I see more and more lollers going all over the place. Save for a number of guilds and different non-guilded groups, factions and people on both Horde & Alliance stuff isn't pretty right now.

Could be alot worse, could be better. I think things will begin to settle down now, and actually have since people have gradually gotten through the new content. Fo shaw, we're had alot more roleplaying (both casual and organised) within Gilneas including outsiders popping in for a visit.

i think the man contribution to the lolling is because dalaran is not a hub anymore meaning many more ooc players are put into close contact with us meaning we will get more lollers by that very nature thow i do agree with gunn,.. things are starting to settle now.

My only complaint is the fragmentation of role-play between not really communicating hubs/guilds. Other than that, I think the role-play is actually -good-, just that Stormwind Role-play is drained of (good) people.

RP has been a lot better in the past. I believe DB received a few new people with the Cata launch and still is; people who don't necessarily know much about RP and/or they still have to adapt. Apart from that, we also got a few lolers, yes. The cathedral square is almost unbearable nowadays and it's sad to see that some of those lolers are even in well known RP guilds. The alliance is sadly going down the same path the horde RP has always been, namely having RP (quality RP, not lolRP) be more of a guild or band of guilds thing rather than random and free.

For the time being, everyone's simply fleeing SW and especially the cath square to wherever they know a gathering is happening where they'll find something better, leaving the lolers behind to take over, and that kills the random aspect of quality RP, thus indirectly deteriorating parts of the server's overall RP quality. I still believe this might reverse itself when/if people begin organizing more open events again. Lastly, the RP guilds should perhaps focus more on the quality of their recruits rather than a high member count.

Not enough Goblins! More Goblins Needed!

And more Horde RP is always good!

The Blood elves is all... Elvish speaking!

It's pretty poor in my little corner of the server, bordering to Cannot be Unseen.

To be honest, I have not seen much of a difference. And while I am of the philosophical position that nothing is ever perfect and there is always room for improvement, I choose that is good.

I have had bouts where it was impossible for me to find decent rp in what to others where a time of very prominent rp and I have had a plethora of it when it was to others low. I expect this to be the same for everyone. Everything goes in cycles, so too does public events and casual rp. It shifts between open and casual and closed and personal. Going in cycles.

I can imagine the perspective being a bit skewered by Goldshire moving in to the cathedral square and that many roleplayers have left Stormwind to explore rp options outside of it. But honestly... it's the same as it ever was. It is by no means worse nor more rare. Perhaps not as public as it were, but it is still there and still not hard to get.

Gahalla wrote:
I can imagine the perspective being a bit skewered by Goldshire moving in to the cathedral square and that many roleplayers have left Stormwind to explore rp options outside of it. But honestly... it's the same as it ever was. It is by no means worse nor more rare. Perhaps not as public as it were, but it is still there and still not hard to get.

I have to disagree. It's not the same, by far not. The cath square has become worse than Detroit in terms of brawls, fights and gunshots occurring almost every 10-15 mins during peak time. It has become a pretty silly stage for poor conflict RP that ranges from rich vs. poor, human vs. worgen/otherracehere, to shamans/druids speaking in [Wolf]/[Cat] and people using various transformation trinkets ICly just for the sake of using them. Yes, of course there were things like this before but not at this frequency or amount. They are no longer isolated incidents, they are slowly becoming the majority if one adds the rest of the silliness taking place.

Maybe that's normal or acceptable for some, but having experienced the very same place over the past 4 years I sadly can't say that I find it pleasant. I'm not claiming that there is absolutely no more decent RP there. I'm saying that even if it's there it gets trampled upon pretty hard by all the lolRP and is barely noticeable anymore, if anyone dares to stay at the square long enough to notice it that is.

I did say Goldshire moved in, didn't I? It is by no means worse than it was Mandui, it just moved to a much more noticeable location. But Goldshire was always like that. Or well... has been since the server was 4 months old.

I think the only real problem now is that the cathedral square used to be the hub you went to when you wanted casual and open rp (and goldshire being the plave you didn't go to). Now however, goldshire and that hub is in the same place combined with dwarven district turning into trade district light. So finding roleplayers looking for open rp might be a bit more difficult.

But it is the same. Goldshire has just left Goldshire for the Cathedral Square.

Gahalla wrote:I did say Goldshire moved in, didn't I? It is by no means worse than it was Mandui, it just moved to a much more noticeable location. But Goldshire was always like that. Or well... has been since the server was 4 months old.

I think the only real problem now is that the cathedral square used to be the hub you went to when you wanted casual and open rp (and goldshire being the plave you didn't go to). Now however, goldshire and that hub is in the same place combined with dwarven district turning into trade district light. So finding roleplayers looking for open rp might be a bit more difficult.

But it is the same. Goldshire has just left Goldshire for the Cathedral Square.

The fact that the most central and known hub for casual RP is sliding down the gutter makes the whole thing worse though. The whole picture changes because of that. It wouldn't be the case if the hub had moved to a new place when GS moved in, but that hasn't happened. So it's a loss, thus making the big picture worse than it has been in the past.

The hub hasn't moved because noone has bothered to move it. Cathedral square didn't just "happen". It became the hub because there was always someone to roleplay with and often events there. I believe Fortesgue was one of the people that made it into a hub in the first place, the way he was always diligently standing there. Always willing to rp with you. There were many others too.
And when the smoking blade stopped being open regularly, cathedral square took over it's role as hub (they coexisted as hubs). And then during the death knight craze, there were always people guarding the entrance to rp with or death knights trying to get in.

The reason the hub has not moved is that noone has presented a viable alternative for open access. If you want it then you have to pick a spot, rally friends and hold regular events there and easily accessable casual rp there until word of mouth spreads and people will come on their own.

I mean... I still remember how I used to wander Stormwind, lap after lap, without finding any rp. Before the cathedral square became a hub. Back then the mantra was: if you want rp, create it!. The same applies here... we've just been spoiled with effortless rp from the cathedral square.

And that is the key similarity between goldshire and cathedral square. It has always been effortless to find rp there.

Although I have little idea how RP is doing currently (Been spending the time levelling/gathering PvP Gear but, admittedly, I haven't heard much news on current RP events), I decided to post in order to bring up yet again a topic that's been concerning me for a fair while: Horde RP.

Although I know very little about Horde RP currently, rumour has it that it's almost exclusively guild-based and that Alliance RP is considered "superior" due to their more open-based Roleplay. My question is, ofcourse, if Horde RP is considered "inferior" then how can we improve it?

Gahalla wrote:Cathedral square didn't just "happen". It became the hub because there was always someone to roleplay with and often events there.

I've been wondering - what is wrong with applying the above tactic, for example, to Horde RP...?

They blew up the park, so ERP refugees moved to square.

Gahalla wrote:
The reason the hub has not moved is that noone has presented a viable alternative for open access. If you want it then you have to pick a spot, rally friends and hold regular events there and easily accessable casual rp there until word of mouth spreads and people will come on their own.

How long do you think it'd take before the lolers arrive? Because they do manage to track down even out-of-SW events. I don't know who would be willing to attempt the establishment of a new hub when being tracked down.

The Forlorn Cartel has been working a while to get the Old Brewery/Cut throat alley as a hub for criminal RP, and we have been quite succesful thus far. Feel free to pop along. I'm not sure about the other types of RP however.

Mandui wrote:
How long do you think it'd take before the lolers arrive? Because they do manage to track down even out-of-SW events. I don't know who would be willing to attempt the establishment of a new hub when being tracked down.

Those intent on ruining things cannot be avoided, no matter what you do. Unless you limit yourselves to instances. And the others will not come as long as their old hub gives them what they wants (effortless rp).

Etular wrote:Although I have little idea how RP is doing currently (Been spending the time levelling/gathering PvP Gear but, admittedly, I haven't heard much news on current RP events), I decided to post in order to bring up yet again a topic that's been concerning me for a fair while: Horde RP.

Although I know very little about Horde RP currently, rumour has it that it's almost exclusively guild-based and that Alliance RP is considered "superior" due to their more open-based Roleplay. My question is, ofcourse, if Horde RP is considered "inferior" then how can we improve it?

Gahalla wrote:Cathedral square didn't just "happen". It became the hub because there was always someone to roleplay with and often events there.

I've been wondering - what is wrong with applying the above tactic, for example, to Horde RP...?

Yes, that's still largely the case. Above all, the horde lacks an active hub that isn't flooded with vampires using growth pots and DKs casually sipping hot chocolate.
People flocked to Guldu's tavern in Ratchet for a while, so I guess it's just a matter of someone taking the initiatve to start something new up. Until then, I'm certain that people stick to their guilds.

edit to add: I don't blame people to sticking for their guilds at all.

Saali wrote:

Etular wrote:Although I have little idea how RP is doing currently (Been spending the time levelling/gathering PvP Gear but, admittedly, I haven't heard much news on current RP events), I decided to post in order to bring up yet again a topic that's been concerning me for a fair while: Horde RP.

Although I know very little about Horde RP currently, rumour has it that it's almost exclusively guild-based and that Alliance RP is considered "superior" due to their more open-based Roleplay. My question is, ofcourse, if Horde RP is considered "inferior" then how can we improve it?

Gahalla wrote:Cathedral square didn't just "happen". It became the hub because there was always someone to roleplay with and often events there.

I've been wondering - what is wrong with applying the above tactic, for example, to Horde RP...?

Yes, that's still largely the case. Above all, the horde lacks an active hub that isn't flooded with vampires using growth pots and DKs casually sipping hot chocolate.
People flocked to Guldu's tavern in Ratchet for a while, so I guess it's just a matter of someone taking the initiatve to start something new up. Until then, I'm certain that people stick to their guilds.

edit to add: I don't blame people to sticking for their guilds at all.

Have been throwing around an idea for this in private actually, where we would build up a specific location in or near Orgrimmar as a place where people of all races and walks of life tend to gather for any number of personal reasons, and with a tradition of butting in on each other's conversation if it isn't being kept discreet. Work isn't very far along yet though.

Saevir wrote:Have been throwing around an idea for this in private actually, where we would build up a specific location in or near Orgrimmar as a place where people of all races and walks of life tend to gather for any number of personal reasons, and with a tradition of butting in on each other's conversation if it isn't being kept discreet. Work isn't very far along yet though.

Something like that would be wonderful!

Saali wrote:

Saevir wrote:Have been throwing around an idea for this in private actually, where we would build up a specific location in or near Orgrimmar as a place where people of all races and walks of life tend to gather for any number of personal reasons, and with a tradition of butting in on each other's conversation if it isn't being kept discreet. Work isn't very far along yet though.

Something like that would be wonderful!

Well the Company finds much interest in this, and would like to help out, yet as we're a new guild, we have little knowledge on Horde Roleplay hubs and the guilds which we could try to work with! But as said, Such place would be wonderful for the Horde indeed!

I cannot see why moving out of Stormwind and cathedral district is such a huge thing for you ally roleplayers. Isn't it just giving more opportunities to roleplay in different surroundings? I would be very bored if all the rp would be always in same place.

As for the horde side of roleplay so far I have been just experiencing good roleplay both in my guild and with others involved. There is plenty of things going on and it all is exiting. And as for the fact that elves speak Thalassian. Well that is our language. If you go abroad with your friends you do not start to talk the foreign language with your friends. And since nowadays it seems that tongues addon lets other races understand Thalassian too then it is even less an obstacle. And obviously if roleplaying with other races involved, then it is only polite to speak orcish to them.

Instead of whining about the poor quality of roleplay in here you gotta make it better. Make new rp hubs and start having fun again. The fact that Dally is now free from masses it gives a new opportunity to mage type of rp hub. And there is new awesome places that came with Cata. We just gotta start using them.

As much as I wanted to vote 'can be better', I went for bad. I've been pretty much entirely avoiding Stormwind of late, since it isn't just Cath square that has been dragged into the gutter, it's pretty much everywhere. Bar.. the lamb and the little area that the cartel have carved out for themselves.

If I see another feral worgen walking around having cheery conversations, I'm going to facedesk.

And my desk is made of babies. Think of the babies.

I cannot see why moving out of Stormwind and cathedral district is such a huge thing for you ally roleplayers. Isn't it just giving more opportunities to roleplay in different surroundings? I would be very bored if all the rp would be always in same place.

Also, the reason that moving out of Stormwind is such a pain for the Alliance roleplay is that it's been based there for so long now. I spend a lot of time RP'ing outside it, but I also spent years inside it. It's central to the roleplay now. There are a lot of guilds that simply wouldn't function if it was to become a graveyard full of pregnant DK's, feral worgen and OOC'ers.

It's not the be all end all, but it is the foundation of human RP.

Sylvina wrote:I cannot see why moving out of Stormwind and cathedral district is such a huge thing for you ally roleplayers. Isn't it just giving more opportunities to roleplay in different surroundings? I would be very bored if all the rp would be always in same place.

It's not so much having RP always in the same place, since I vastly agree that RPing all over is preferable - it's more knowing where to go if one wants random RP. I enjoy guild RP, or plots with friends / acquaintances, but sometimes one just wants to try a new character, or is bored, and wants to go somewhere and strike up a conversation with someone new. For example, I've been wanting to get into belf RP, and even have a character and a bit of a concept for her, but I wouldn't even know where to start.

Yes, people need to create RP, but at the same time, it'd be nice to walk through the streets, or go to a known tavern, etc etc, and be able to find some.

(On that note, the Jewel of Dalaran is attempting to be a hub for interested players - Horde and Alliance - on Thursday nights in Dalaran. If you're starved for RP, or just want something different, give it a try!)

RP will always be as good as you make it to be, that was the truth when the server went live and that is the truth now.

But I do miss the Blade!