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Role-Players Among Us
Altre, 2004-04-23

Most Mmorpgs that you come across are bound to have a number of common elements in their player base. There will be the guy who logs on for five seconds, declares that the game isn't as good as Everquest and promptly leaves. The unstoppable know-it-all dude who has been in-game since early beta. The l33t pk groups. They're all there. Today, we'll focus on another species that runs a common thread in Mmo games. Some could argue that it all started with them back when pen and paper was king. Role-players.
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The Inexperienced Padawan: The new person to the group. Be careful not to confuse this character for a bad role player. Admittedly the difference between the two types is minuscule at best. While an awful player will never get better, no matter how many years of experience he gets, a Padawan has at least some chance to improve. This is the genesis of nearly every other type of role-player. We all started here. Key things to watch for: Talking way too much, or way too little. Frequently asking about the game background is very common as well. Quote: "The Blood Caves of Uldergunbad beyond the western marshes of no return? Never heard of them."

The Combatant: You may remember the guy who spent most of his time during character creation simply picking out all the weapons he could carry. One who was always invincible in battle, and often found ways of surviving every deadly situation. Transitioning over to Mmorpgs, you see the Combatant incarnation still exits. Often, this type is most associated with the Power Gamer. Key words and phrases: Loot, level, power, kill, experience, and weapons. Quote: "I survived by first shooting the enemy full of rounds from my colt, then my winchester, my magnum, M-16, and an AK. For a bit of flavor I threw a small nuclear device at it. Believe me, that thing is dead by now. Probably."

The King: The leader. Usually the person that took the head of any adventuring group as the story teller tried his best to kill you. In Mmorpg terms, they still largely stick to being in charge of questing parties, but are also found at the heads of guilds. The problems faced here are the same as in the real world. Power corrupts. The larger a group that players lead, the more of a jerk he's going to be. Things to watch out for: Not having enough time to talk to you. Being concerned with appearance. Either focusing on being a really nice guy, or a complete ass. Quote: "Alright, here's the plan. Fredrick the Unstoppable, you go take a holding position to the North. McBadass the Flasher, I want you provide a distraction so that the enemy is confused. Phil, just try not to die too horribly, ok?"

The Purist: While this category may have instances of all the other types present within, it still deserves mention. The Purist essentially considers the standard Tolkien/D&D setting to be the only one conducive to role playing. Anything else isn't right. Expect to hear long arguments about how a sci-fi role-play setting just doesn't work. Key words and phrases: Ye, verily, thine, good man/sir, my lady, salutations and quest. "Salutations my good man. Am I to believe that this is the road to Elferia? Any directions that you could provide would be most appreciated. For your troubles I'll give ye five gold coins of the realm."

The Vizir: The people in this category were the game masters for the most part in the pen and paper days. In a Mmorpg game, Vizirs make things happen in guilds and groups. They usually don't rule, but instead are often high ranking officials or members of any organization. Things to watch for: Knowing a lot of stuff about everything. Quote: "Sure, we could take the North road. I mean, if you're really set on going I suppose it's alright. There's just one minor detail: We'll all die."

The Schemer: Every role playing aspect for this character is bent toward crime or conspiracy. Underworld boss, drug dealer, and smuggler are a few specific incarnations. No matter the game, the Schemer is trying to be the dark element in the seedy underbelly of your gaming experience. Usually this type of players is also envisioning a lot of grand conspiracies to make life even more depressing than it already is. Key words and phrases: Syndicate, dark, money, drugs, stimulants, crime, pay to do a job, and business. Quote: "I've been in the worst places. You wouldn't believe what goes on right in front of you. It's horrible, horrible stuff. Things make even my skin crawl. By the way, do you want to buy some Stim X? It's only slightly illegal."

The Hopeless: In any situation where role playing happens you can find the hopeless. The special group who can constantly amaze you with just how low they can take role-playing. Given half a millennium, they still wouldn't be able to act out a decent part. Things to watch for: Overly long and dramatic entrances. Always playing the same character type, no matter what the actual role is. Quote: "I am a werewolf. A half-werewolf even. From lands really, really far away. My mother was a wolf, and my father was a man. Why do I have wings? Oh, well, erm...my aunt was a fairy. Queen of the fairies to be exact. You don't believe me? Ask my brother. He's a wizard"

I've not covered a lot of the types of role-players out there. To be fair, each person will play their character a little differently. The point of these experiences is to have fun. Even the bad actors of the gaming world deserve that much. So what if they happen to make you want to punch their face in? No matter what, one could argue that role-playing has had a central role in the development of the Mmorpg.



 
 
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