The Adamantine Hide of Role-playing - Shattered?

Posts : 44

I think the most I've ever gotten into a game world; really felt as though I was truly a being of the world in which I was playing, was when I played text-based role-plays. There are no graphics here, much less voice chat, so you really had to use your imagination.

This was set up to attract role-players and provide a way for them to experience the fictitious game world first hand. When playing in this world you lost your sense of self and really slipped into the shoes of another character.

Modern MMORPGs like World of Warcraft and Lord of the Rings Online are great. They're graphically beautiful, exciting, and they feature engaging gameplay. But something of the "role-playing" part of the RPG seems to have gotten lost in the transition from text-based to modern gaming. Modern RPGs focus on character progression in terms of gaining levels and new abilities, often with some degree of customization of those abilities to make the character unique. But skill point allotment and stats used to be the backdrop of an RPG, rather than the focus. The focus was on the character himself; on his story in a fantastic setting. Maybe the basic mechanics of the modern MMOG make this goal impossible. If everyone is playing the same game and running the same quests, how is the story of your character any different from anyone else? And if the focus is on the mechanics of the game (slaying monsters, raiding dungeons), rather than on the interaction between players, how can role-play even be possible?

Online role-playing games are no longer the exclusive domain of the geeky ex-Dungeons and Dragons tabletop role-player (like myself). Elements of typical role-play, such as a character's backstory, his story as he progresses through the game world, and his "in character" interactions with other players are insignificant or non-existent in most modern MMORPGs. But does anyone care? What do you think? Is it possible to role-play in a modern MMORPG? Should role-playing be confined to specific venues set-up for that type of interaction or should future games try to encourage role-playing? Tell me I'm not the only one a little nostalgic for ye-olde text based roleplaying.

Posts : 1696 Location : England

Of course it's possible. I know that in Realm Reborn, there are neighbourhoods in housing areas where people all role play together, and that there are blogs where people record their characters' stories, interactions, etc and build on their character in and out of the game. It'll always be relevant, but everyone has a different style of playing, so not everybody will.

Posts : 44

That is great to know.

But, what of games like Call of Duty? Players are too busy with the traditional "no-scoping", climbing up the ranks, and dodging bullets while pulling off stylish kills. Guns are littered everywhere and they’re fun to shoot: big, powerful, varied, some punching single shots through armor, others spraying corridors with death. The ballistics aren’t very interesting (put mouse over head, tap left mouse button to make dead) but the animations and sounds and dramatic death animations are addictive.

I think such a game would make for a good role-play and there are a lot of movies with beautiful stories players could borrow inspiration from. The adrenaline rush a player feels when running away from an enemy and taking cover would incorporate so much fun into voice acting and role-playing.

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