Current state of RP

I haven't really noticed a difference on horde side. Yes, there could always be more random RP. But since we don't have a clear hub (good hub, the Bazaar I guess is as it quite often is). Still find random RP often enough just by idling in Crossroads or Razor Hill. Now days I do tend to stay out of Orgrimmar since I get tired of reporting spam from gold sellers, and hearing random yells about PvE every five minutes. But been like that since before I left the Sixty.

As for those who are afraid of losing a place. As long as guilds get known for being a certain place (For example, the Winterblades often patrolling Ashenvale and Darkshore) you know where you can go in hopes of finding people to RP with.

But, most RP I get is good. I see the occational loller. The goons are around at times but easy to just "Report spam" and then phase with my mind. Still, could be better.
Also, the thing someone said that maybe some guilds need to look more for quality members rather than just the quantity might be true. If some old and respected guilds in Stormwind now has some lollers among their numbers.

Regarding the lollers in some of the old and respected guilds. - I'd say we have a common responsibility as fellow Defias Brotherhood'ians to inform the guild leader/officers about these individuals, and thus help the guilds and the individual loller to progress.

Right then, considering the variety of opinions given here, let's focus on something else, what do you guys and girls think we need to do to improve the general state of RP and draw more people to our lovely realm? Events? Campaigns? Promotions of the Realm? Go wild!

I'd love to see some more communication amongst RPers, personally. I know it seems lame to have to say explicitly 'Hi, I'm <The Old Town Syndicate> and we usually like to hang around in the Dwarven District and we have a tavern there called the Blade,' but at the same time, if other people aren't familiar with your guild, or race, or faction, or location, how would they know?

I'm so happy to have a new Azeroth for RP to spread out in, but since it decreases the chance of random RP, knowing where different organisations or groups hang out - if they are willing to take in new people or outsiders - would be awesome.

Edit: as a concrete example of this, maybe we could compile a list here on the RP forums?

Regarding Stormwind, but also kind of the entire RP scene from what I can see at least, I could be completly wrong.

I find a problem atm with RP is that there's a lack of good RP overall, as many seem to agree, but the good RP you can find is getting quite stale a repetitive. There's a few criminal guilds, no guard guilds, Cathedral is just a dont go zone, but no one seems to RP citizens, or more simpler characters. Every character is the new jesus, and every event is the biggest event ever done, until its broken by next weeks event. I dunno really how to say it, but the RP scene doesn't seem "complete" to me, it's either lollers, or one guild doing their thing in particular, but not alot going on publically, not even small things happening, so it makes Stormwind seem kinda like it's just not functioning and is just dead. Not really sure how I can explain it best, but overall I just don't really feel immersed, so I then become less inclineed to RP at all, and find better immersion playing fable 3.

I'm having the best RP I've ever had! But the chance for random RP is low!
What would help is a list of where players often go to either create or find said RP.

Example given is that Kaigron is often meditating within the cleft of shadows, or if he is away on shattered hand business I would update said list to suit.

Horde RP is very guild orientated, having non guild organisations like Shattered Hand allow all horde rp'ers to feel more of a community.

Thats the spirit, more suggestions, lets see what we can brainstorm here and then make a list with stuff we can pull off and actually for a change DO IT, both Horde & Alliance wide. Come on, post your suggestions/concerns/ideas and don't worry about how far fetched they might be!

Well I remember the last time there was a Duskwood campaign, like last June I think, RPing in the village was quite fun, with alot of RP going there, the chapter being over suspicious at any outsiders coming through Darkshire, and people RPing scared villagers, and then attacks coming from the Dark Sphere, and people RPing the Night Watch. It just seemed very well done and alot of fun, having the town focused on, so it became active and and I felt really immersed and enjoyed it

Not that I'm immediatly suggestion, "Let's go back to Duskwood!" but it was fun having the town so active and concentrated on, and people could make a new character to play some minor part of that, if they wanted a little change from the main, and I'd like to see it happen somewhere else, wherever it maybe.

May be experiencing things similar to that in the upcoming months, Perturbo, if the planets align.

Be more tolerant and less ignorant on new roleplayers. And "silvermoon roleplayers" too, if we leave them alone and never roleplay with them, they will only know the way they have roleplayed, and will continue to do so in the future thus creating more new roleplayers who think "this is the only way to roleplay" if they haven't found anything else.

And a longshot idea to help us have some more random rp happening, or at least cleaning the stage somewhat is to politely let people know they are being out of character, and that this is a roleplaying server. I know it's been attempted before, i know it's something that's annoying to do. But if there is a chance someone will actually listen, that's one less "/s Lol what u guys doing? " happening when someone stumbles upon a group of roleplayers. In my opinion it is very important we'd spread the info to people that there are some rules. If we don't, it will never stop, and will only increase.

Daxarth wrote:Be more tolerant and less ignorant on new roleplayers. And "silvermoon roleplayers" too, if we leave them alone and never roleplay with them, they will only know the way they have roleplayed, and will continue to do so in the future thus creating more new roleplayers who think "this is the only way to roleplay" if they haven't found anything else.

I applaud this view. This article albeit for a different (yet strongly roleplayer centered) game is a must read for those who don't know how to deal with 'the uninitiated'.

Strike a deal with friends for a place to hang out in when you've got nothing to do. So whenever you are bored you go there and you rp with whomever you meet there. Mage district. Harbour. Dwarven district. Old town. Goldshire (the irony would be delicious).

Hold open and public casual events. No planning, just take the first idea and do it. Even if it means just you and a curious bystander.

Take the chance and respond to what happens around you. Make the city come alive by treating it as if it were. A member of the horde/alliance ooc ganks? Rally a group of concerned citzens as an adhoc militia and sweep the city in a group. Searching building by building. Use that attack to build rp from.
Clean the city streets and complain about mounts. Jump out of their way if they come speeding past you and yell curses after them.
Create an alt that collects laundry for a copper and approach anyone in the area. Create an alt that cooks and sell street-food to passersby.

Use whatever reputation you have for public events. Priests could hold sermons (not neccessarily in the cathedral) and take confessions. Geldar (just as an example) could rally a crowd and drill them.

Openly signal that you're looking for rp by emoting with the enviroment, walking and dressing in noticeable clothing (rather than bright and flashy raid-gear). Respond to people's attempt to rp with you.

When "lollers" approach, whisper them and talk to them. Explain how things could be made more fun for both of you. and then reward those who do listen by rp:ing with them and even letting them "win".

Above all... be visible. Be approachable. And be flexible.

Also... a topic listing where rp is currently regularly going on was a good idea.

What if there was an announcement in these forums once a week or once a month stating that "This weeks/months casual roleplaying center for alliance is >>some place<< and for horde is >>some other place<<. Then everyone bored with their own stuff and wanting some casual quality rp could check the place from the forumz and then find some IC reason to go visit the place. This would also bring some variety to roleplay if the places would change time to time.

Kalimdor could be a little bit more active and the role-play is too fragmented imo (as in guild centered or whatever), but otherwise I think it is the same as ever: could be better, but not bad ...

I'd be willing to maintain and update a topic with a listing in the first post over public and accessable rp (and their location, participants, notes, etc.) if people are interested in using that.

Anyone remember when Stormwind RP migrated to Theramore for a while?
Good times.

Anyway, a good location for a new RP hub that is viable for reliable random RP has to be close enough to a city or a major travel hub. Nobody wants to spend ten minutes traveling just to go check if there's any RP going on.

Towns in the 1-20 zones are a good choice. So are the less used districts in cities. Dalaran and Shattrath are a bit iffy. While certainly big cities, without the portals it's a long trip to reach those two cities. Then again they are so abandoned that a simple /who can give you a pretty good idea on wether or not there's any RP going on in there.

Gahalla wrote:I'd be willing to maintain and update a topic with a listing in the first post over public and accessable rp (and their location, participants, notes, etc.) if people are interested in using that.

That could certainly help, Gahalla. Give people more incentive to look a little further.

Lini wrote:Towns in the 1-20 zones are a good choice. So are the less used districts in cities. Dalaran and Shattrath are a bit iffy. While certainly big cities, without the portals it's a long trip to reach those two cities. Then again they are so abandoned that a simple /who can give you a pretty good idea on wether or not there's any RP going on in there.

A place that is easy to /who is not really helpful though. It has be so easy to reach that people would go there just to idle. If everyone waits for someone else to start hanging out there first, the hub would never take off.

Things are going well, and tomorrow a new guard regiment will be deployed, so even more RP will start.

Feydor wrote:May be experiencing things similar to that in the upcoming months, Perturbo, if the planets align.

You secretive bastard.

The role-play on the Horde side is pretty good. Sure it's guild-centered. But there's an easy way to get in on the action: namely, join one of the role-play guilds It's not like we're elitist or anything. In fact, Kozgugore often invites guilds that are new and low on numbers to come with on events.

Anyway, us in ORB have an event every other day (if not more) so I can't complain. One remark I want to make is that the individual members (non-officers) often don't go out of their way to create events themselves. It's kind of a waste, really, but it's hard to motivate everyone to make a contribution.

In a nutshell, it's good but there's always room for improvement.

PS.: To me, Stormwind role-play sounds quite... confining. Always the same venues, always the same kind of role-play. Quite repetitive.

I must say that at the moment, I know that a lot of players in my guild are discouraged to roleplay and we have kinda taken a RP break.

The fact that Stormwind have become the hub for everyone with portals, 2 banks and AH, have certainly ruined the possibility to rp and feel immersed.
I think that the RP need to move from STormwind.

Now I also think that it's very very important to organise non guild RP. A lot of players - me including - want to play the game firstly (raid, quest, pvp), and roleplay secondly. When RP is kept hidden, for guild or closed group, well... a lot of casual roleplayer will disepear because random RP is crap and good Rp is unknown/hidden. This is what will make roleplayers more rare, and slowly decrease the roleplayer population for the benefice of a more important population of oocers (even if those occers will be respectfull for RP rules they still don't rp, and stand in middle of the path with their dragon and epic gear). I think that's something which happened on Scarshield Legion.

So, do not do this mistake to neglect casual roleplayers. If roleplay is organised in a way or another for casual roleplayer, this will beneficiate the whole community.

But there's an easy way to get in on the action: namely, join one of the role-play guilds

This is not a good solution. In fact it's well known than RP guild have huge difficulties to raid, or doing something else than just slaking arround in heroic at best (outside rp event). For all players who want operational end game, they can not join a RP guild. Are they forced to give up roleplay? RP need to be open, well announced, well know, promoted and open to everyone. or it will die slowly. That's my opinion atleast, I've been on 2 servers where RP is completly dead today.

Always avoided SW unless I had to use portals/profession trainers, since RP there is... not enjoy-able for me. Mostly the constant "/y Gunshot!", drama-rp which I hate, and lol-rp which I hate slightly more than drama-rp. I prefer Ironforge, not as many lol'ers/drama-queens there as in SW, yet not as out of the way as Darnassus/Exodar/Gilneas.

Cid wrote:I prefer Ironforge, not as many lol'ers/drama-queens there as in SW, yet not as out of the way as Darnassus/Exodar/Gilneas.

This is the main issue really. People seem to hypoventilate as the prospect of having to travel somewhere that takes more than about two minutes of their time on a flight path and so they sit in their comfy spots of Stormwind and occasionally Ironforge.. which even then is only a hop, skip and jump away.

Gilneas has seen a good rise in activty in the past few weeks; The Greymane Era is always there of course, but we've had SI:7 work alongside of our lads, Broken Sword fleeing here and (god forbid) Stromgarde pop in for their obligitary brawling.

As a wild idea, and from what Lini said about moving the RP to Theramore back in the day. Eh, why not move the RP in Dalaran instead of Stormwind? Might be a bit of a travel, but hell, it has everything people might need and then some. Just a wild idea though.

PS: And what Gunnell said.

Regarding newcomers / rp newbies.
- Other realms have an /advice channel where newbies and veterans alike can discuss concepts, lore etc. It's different from the usual /lfrp channels in that it's not (supposed to be) a place for spamming/ego wanking.
- Someone ought to reach out to those loller guilds and give them an offer to be part of something greater (red pill/blue pill scenario).

Regarding improving current rp, horde side.
- Public events needs better advertising. There's only two horde-only events on the first page in the Event forum (perhaps there's only private events?), which makes it impossible for people not in a rp guild to find any.
- Making a hub of sorts for random rp.
- Making horde rp in general more inclusive. Might be a bit hard with so many single-race guilds, but for me the horde seems to be fragmented to the point where guilds are distant islands.