Atlantic Roleplay Community Boards

[Evinyatar]

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Ah yes. The old RK just has to appear now and then to interfere in matters he shouldn't. But as a naïve egotistical bastard I keep thinking whatever I blah might make a difference somehow....


How does one create a roleplaying community?

1) Creating a community is nothing like creating a RP guild

Within a roleplaying guild I'm a defender of good strict rules. Rules as long as they are there to increase the roleplaying value. For example (you might have a uniform to increase visibility, you may be Orcs so no horses allowed, you may be an ancient knighthood so no magery allowed, etc etc... make these up as much as you like). When creating a guild I'm all for them (please read Beleth's post below) and I would even implement the strictest of rules in 'MY' guild. But that would ba my own choice.
The key part here is that it's easy to police or enfore rules. Whoever follows/likes the rules becomes a member. Whoever doesn't like/follows the rules can go find another guild.
I assume you can already see why the same doesn't work for a community:
- You cannot control who joins or leaves a community (without creating hassle)
- It's extremely hard to police any rules you come up with
- Noone is able to find a list of 'rules' that pleases a large group
- The establishment of rules makes a roleplaying community competitive. Roleplaying isn't competitive... it isn't about who wins... you don't get artifacts or rewards or or gold or power at the end. It's something you do and you should enjoy. When roleplayed it shouldn't matter who wins or looses.


2) Lead by example

The BEST thing you can do to build a community is to look at yourself. If you have a guild that excels in roleplaying. People who have an easily recognizable yet thorough role that they perform. People like the OES, Orcs, etc have always made it a hell of alot more easy for other people to get interested in rolepaying or to start off a totally improvised plotline.
If your guild is able to roleplay at all times and create an interesting atmosphere due to the rules that you impose on yourselves others might find it interesting and may be much more inclined to adopt them rather then by force/necessity.

3) IC/OOC.... the eternal debate

I honest to god don't see why people still do things OOC with roleplaying characters. I haven't seen 0.000000001 good thing come out of all OOC discussions about ingame events, intraguild meetings, IRC meetings and whatever. If you would just all STOP doing it!!!!!! There's absolutely no need as well. If you adhere strongly to rule 2 people WILL interact with you. And more then likely exactly in the way you want them to. Your naked honesty will compell more people to respect you then you would think. IF your objective is not to 'win' something while roleplaying the fact someone ISNT adhering to your guilds stricter rules should not be a problem. If you can only wear GM made items and the other see no problem in going articted-up then you'll just be roleplaying a weak knighthood. Or a group of weak mages. If you're truly there to roleplay that SHOULD NOT MATTER!

4) Knowing where the community is, that is crucial

This is always the hardest part. Empty buildings do not roleplay. It is very important to find other roleplayers to create an atmosphere. If your own guild cannot maintain sufficient presence in order for wandering players or other guilds to visit you at a regular interval and expect to FIND something perhaps you're better off shacking up with a few other guilds. Either from the same building or from the same area. This is why places like the Serpents Cross Tavern, Caina, Orc Fort, Hanse's Hostel have always been successful. If you can't create that kind of 'presence' you're better to work together with likeminded people then to have your own huge headquarter that noone ever visits.


5) Respect others at all times

ALWAYS treat other people with respect. If someone mistreats OOC ingame you're far better ignoring him for a while/permanently then taking the matter into a an OOC feud or discussion. You have to learn that what happens IC should stay IN CHARACTER. The first person that gives me a valid reason why an IC occurence has to be discussed OOC hasn't been born.... you're welcome to try. If something OOC (Griefers, a rper loots you, a rper is using artifacts on you, someone is dewdspeaking, pk's, etc etc everything that usually pisses someone off)happens to a roleplayer you shouldn't get UPSET. Treat the matter as your character would and move along. Create some IC reason why it occured and move along. Trust me, in the end it'll make your UO experience more worthwhile and it will considerably lengthen your lifespan.



Closing remarks:

Creating a roleplaying community cannot happen from up above. First make sure you are being a good roleplayer. Second see if you can find a few likeminded people who want to create a guild with you. Make sure that guild as a whole is a great roleplaying entity. Thirdly establish an area where you as a guild or a few guilds are so dominantly present that a certain 'atmosphere' starts to occur in a certain area. Fourth, make sure you stay in character at all time. From this point on you'll not need to do anything else. A RP community will automatically form around your area... multiple areas will automatically link up and thus create a greater and greater community.

Do not even think about saying: everyone knows that. Because EXTREMELY few people/groupes have managed to control all 4 elements.



p.s. Any OOC attempt to bring existing guilds together, decide what the RP community is going to be or should adhere to is doomed to fail sooner or later in my opinion.

p.p.s Your roleplaying experience is still what YOU create. Rules is something you use in a contest to win. I'd be proud to be a looser!


RK - If he'd still be here he'd be a looser by his own choice!

[Molly]

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Very well said and a policy I try to follow in my rp life here. Sometimes I fail but I do my best.
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Grand Duchess Molly Kaldhel
Oracle of Truth
The House Gauntlet
Sanctus, Luna, Malas
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXoGDbJ5nLU
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"In politics, if you want anything said, ask a man. If you want anything done, ask a woman."
-Margaret Thatcher-

[Ditto Quantum]

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Some things that have been missed or forgotten about were pointed out in your post. I agree to most of what was written, especially about the differences for guilds and community. Anyway, you say it better than I can. hehe
Thanks


Dit

[Teh Glouris Lrod Kujabis]

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To me the most important part is some kind of leadership that can set rules that people will follow.

If even one person says 'I want roleplay, not ruleplay!' then GO RP AT WEST BRITAN BANK.