How vital is role-playing?

[ladybug]

So I have been 'fighting' for almost four years now and I have not even thought about building a character for myself or an actual fighting name (ladybug is the closest thing to a nickname I have ever had and I figure I should be something other than Amelia). I am therefore begging the question, how important is it for someone to have an alternate persona in this game? I don't role-play very easily and would really prefer to just stay myself. The garb I wear is any type of simple medieval clothing, nothing to fancy or time specific and I don't feel any special affiliation towards any group (or species). How many of you are you on the field?

[Mekoot Gorlock]

RP isn't an overly important part of the game. The only thing that is required is having garb. People have persona's to the degree that they want to, and I think that is a strength of our group. You can do as little or as much as you want (to far either way though and someone will make fun of you).

[Black Cat]

If you decide to develop a character, don't rush into it. Think about what you really want to be and what kind of character would best represent your interests as well as your fighting skills. Also, make sure that if your character choice isn't popular among Belegrim for whatever reason, that you are willing to deal with the BS that comes with having an unpopular character choice.

[Roland Demox]

Also, make sure that if your character choice isn't popular among Belegrim for whatever reason, that you are willing to deal with the BS that comes with having an unpopular character choice.

Like a dark feline thing that has a flying form

[Versago Hayashida]

Also, make sure that if your character choice isn't popular among Belegrim for whatever reason, that you are willing to deal with the BS that comes with having an unpopular character choice.

Like a dark feline thing that has a flying form

They were originally going to be cast for the Wizard of Oz.. but got rejected cause the monkeys could wear the hats better.

[Spike]

If I could give just one suggestion for if you decide to create a character start small. Just be some no named goat herder or something who randomly gets shanghaied into an army, and create who you are from there. Meet some guy and joined his unit? Talk about this great feat of strength or cunning he preformed to persuade you into fighting by his side. Go to an event? There was an epic war which you fought proudly and viciously.

More to the point, the things that commonly get mocked are those which would be fine if we were playing a game where those things would give them bonuses.

Having Special Powers Including, But Not Limited To:
-Flying
-Shapeshifting
-Fireballs
-Iceballs
-Lighting bolts

Here is a perfect example of horrible, albeit hilarious, character creation that includes many things that would be mocked.

[Teej]

Spike pretty much sumed up what I was going to say; then added a comic as a visual aid. * he's good.

[Outhro Youkker]

I love Goblins Comic

[Todo]

Goblins= the best comic evar.

[ladybug]

Thanks for the advice. If for any reason what-so-ever I feel that I need to create an alternate persona, I'll start small and work my way up.

[The Great Gigsby]

I love role-playing, insofar as it doesn't interfere with what I want to be doing at an event, and doesn't hurt our image. In my experience, role-playing works out best when the players involved don't have to work at it to have fun. If you have to stop and think about how your character would respond under the current circumstances, then you suck at RP and everyone is rolling their eyes and laughing at you behind your back. Trust me on that.

Just chill out and let things flow. Not every instance of RP has to be dramatic, grim&dark, or LOLFUNNY. Not every character has to be motivated by REVENGE.

The best characters, as Spike outlined are humble, believable, and truthful to what your abilities are as a player. Somebody looks at you on the field and sees the character you are portraying and not some chump wearing a dress and Spock ears.

I gotta disagree with Black Cat about choosing archetypes that people hate. It doesn't really matter if you're an elf, guardian angel, a vampire, ninja, manbearpig, a flamingly gay flying anime half-elf half-wereneko half-burger flipping mercenary... If you can portray that character in a likable way, nobody will give you flack. The problem with all of those choices is that not only are they loaded archetypes with piles of pretension to sift through, but also the people drawn to them are usually incredibly unlikable in the first place.

[Zwei ap Owen]

Said some stuff

Exactly. Except for the part about being 'humble.' My persona is the Crown Prince of a Kingdom, so that **** goes right out the door.

Personally I think the best 'characters' are the ones you earn and develop through real interaction and experience in the game, sort of going along the lines Spike and Giggles have laid out. When I started I didn't have a 'character,' I just had my name, 'Zwei,' which is a nickname I'd had before I'd ever heard of you whackos. The 'ap Owen' part came later when I became a good friend and student of another older player, so we ret-conned it that I was his son (it also helped that we both had certain physical similarities like having red beards). I earned my place in House Wyndhaven by squiring, and my titles as a knight and Prince by excelling within the unit. Even my 'background' came about more through interaction with others than any carefully thought out story. For example, the fact that my mother was a witch whom my knight burned at the stake when I was an infant came out of a running joke (which is probably why it's so overly dramatic in the way only comedy can account for). Other details emerged through other means, such as playing at baubles, a game in which you bet what is in reality worthless crap which gains its values by the * story you make up about it. And so on.

What's important is that you don't let the role-playing thing overshadow your experience in what is essentially an athletic and social endeavor. Your 'character' should grow organically out of who you yourself are, and never be used as a tool to obscure yourself and try to be something or someone you really aren't.

In short: it can be fun, but don't over do it.

[Big King Jimmy]

And don't feel like you HAVE to if you don't WANT to. That side of things doesn't get represented in this forum very often, and I understand why (it is, after all, the ROLE PLAYING forum). But in short, it isn't vital at all.

[Spike]

Jimmy, you're not vital at all.

[Ilariia Bulochnika]

Zwei, I bite my thumb at you, sir.

Be sure to have fun with it....and play Baubles.

[ladybug]

Directly after giggles wrote manbearpig I wanted to try being galbearpig, and then thought better of my rash decision making. Like I said, I am not all that comfortable with role playing, partly because I don't think I have ever had a character that fits me rather well. The advice from whomever said that I should let my character grow out my experiences in the game was good. I haven't fought regularly, so maybe when I can a character will develop. But for now, I am still a 22yr. old female, just human, who has an affinity for beer and bad movies.

[Ilariia Bulochnika]

I am still a 22yr. old female, just human, who has an affinity for beer and bad movies.

A). are you single?

B). what is your favorite beer.

[ladybug]

1) Yes

2) If my house were a bar I would never leave. I am partial to Guiness (as anyone in their right minds should be) but love to experiment and try new ales all the time. There was an ale house opening not too far from my apartment before I moved home, so now I have to find a new place of consumption.

[Shrike]

But for now, I am still a 22yr. old female, just human, who has an affinity for beer and bad movies.

Define "bad movies"...

Also, I'm new to Bel, but i'm sort of picking up on when it's acceptable to start role playing and something that resembles guidelines to doing it

It's all well and good that you're this, this, and this.....but you just look like a * when it becomes painfully obvious (both to you and all of the laughing bystanders) that you aren't much of the "Blademaster" you (and your title) claimed to be.

I say be the best beer swilling human you can be and , if you want to, try something out sometime.

[Zwei ap Owen]

I am still a 22yr. old female, just human, who has an affinity for beer and bad movies.

A). are you single?

B). what is your favorite beer.

For shame, you are a married woman.

And besides, you're doing it wrong. The only question you're supposed to ask is 'Here, drink this.'

[Ilariia Bulochnika]

For shame, you are a married woman.

And besides, you're doing it wrong. The only question you're supposed to ask is 'Here, drink this.'

I fail to see what being married has to do with it. Remember, women are like Voltron; so the only thing better than one young, beer-swilling, bad-moving-watching chick IS TWO young, beer-swilling, bad-moving-watching chicks.

However I will bow to your more noble wisdom in the way of the drink-fu.

Ladybug, drink this.

[ladybug]

As long as its anything other than the hard stuff. First time I got drunk was with the assistance of a Belegarth member. Three shots of Everclear and then the circle of death with Amaretto. I can't stand the hard stuff now. However, after a night of throwing my guts up, I was able to make it to my biology final at 8:30am and get a 96 on it. Not too shabby.

Bad movies- A movie in which either the plot, acting, or overall screen-play begs for someone on the production team to be tarred and feathered. When watching said movie, items available for throwing (such as food and pillows) as well as a private location are necessary (the sound level created by my commentary gets to be quite animated).

[Outhro Youkker]

Lets all watch cheesy Sci-fi at feast after a whole day of fighting.

The roleplaying I do is on and off.
At practice, every now and then, I rampage and roar as a goblin. Becasue I fight barefoot and my feet, ankles and shins get covered in dirt, mud and grass, we joke around about Goblin natural armor, or I am mutating into a hobbit.

If you want to roleplay, then go for it. if you want, roleplay yourself if you were of a medieval era.

[bangor]

Keep it simple if you can. Bangor's backstory is this: "A barbarian walked out of the forest. He was thirsty." There is no need for a very long and contrived story, because just like in a campaign, what you are doing is far more important than what you were.

Unless sheep were involved.

[Tex]

I hardly ever role play at bel if ever.
When I do it's really easy because my character is just like me when my witty, sarcastic and slightly evil side comes out.
The backstory: I was a lowly hunter practicly starving to death when I was captured by some "old friends" and forced to fight in a week long battle where I mostly cowered in fear like a little girl until I hooked up with some buddies and found strenghth in numbers.

If I ever feel like it I'll go out and buy some fake halloween horns, and slap 'em on (I'm a tiefling) but that will probably be never. Such is the beauty of belegarth!

[Katsu]

Yeah. Mine is that I was overtaken by wanderlust and ended up in Shannara and stayed there. Ta da! Backstory in ten seconds.

[tac the fierce]

To answer your initial question, role-playing is in no way vital to be in belegarth MCS. However, if your a multi-society player, as is my case, you might have to have a character, plus having a backstory gives you +5 coolness.

[Big King Jimmy]

Her initial question was asked 4 months ago. I don't she was waiting for Mongo The Amazing Internet Junkie to come to her rescue.

[FrankManic]

My character is a half Tank/half bear, who was taken in by necromancer-torturer-elf-republicans and taught the ways of hittingpeoplewithsticksfu by the ancient emperor of almost everything. Then they gave me a magic rock that could kill even the king of the bad * badasses if it hit him in the head and sent me out to collect scalps. If I get a thousand scalps they'll teach me how to transform into super-ursine-mega-fortress mode, and I'll become half lobster/half battleship and be worshiped by the bikinioids of Deltazon III.

[Eris]

Bikinioids? Nice...