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Mister E
2011-11-01, 01:46 PM
I think that I'd like to get into role-playing but I have no idea where to begin. The closest I've been to actually playing one is reading Order of the Stick and playing Dragon Age: Origins. Any suggestions on what to try playing first or any other advice that you think would be helpful would be appreciated!

The Boz
2011-11-01, 01:52 PM
Talk to your friends, coworkers, colleagues and acquaintances. Get in touch with your local RP gaming community. Advertise that you're LFG on Facebook or whatever.

Shyftir
2011-11-01, 01:57 PM
Well, the first thing you need to do is find a cool active gaming group. This makes or breaks your experience. You gotta play games with people you like to hang out with and who like to play the games you are playing.

That said, talk to your group once you find them. They will most likely be able to show you the ropes with no problems. What games to choose/what to do after choosing your game doesn't matter much without a good group.

I do suggest you check out an "Actual Play' of a couple games. They are podcasts where you listen in on a group of gamers as they play. You can get a really good feel for the idea of what is going on this way.

Most likely you'll find a group playing one of the most recent versions of DnD. If you are looking for 4th edition, I suggest the "Penny Arcade/PvP podcast series" that Wizards of the Coast sponsored.

Toofey
2011-11-01, 02:04 PM
I would really recommend against videogames for learning RPing, there's a world of difference. Honestly, I don't think there's any really good advice for first time gamers other than to find a group of people they actually enjoy spending time with to play (you can play with people you are Meh about, but those groups fall apart much more easily) and to read the books.

NikitaDarkstar
2011-11-01, 02:10 PM
As the others have said, find a good group. It doesn't have to be in person, but honestly it makes it easier, but if that's not an option finding an online group that either plays over instant messenger or play by forum is an option, it might just be a little bit harder to learn the game this way.

Other than that, relax and have fun with it. What game and what system you pick doesn't really matter at all if you're not having fun.

Oh and Toofey has a point, you can't compare video RPG's with tabletop. Videogames offers you a specific set of options but doesn't give you the option of thinking outside the box, in tabletop RPG's that's generally considered a bad thing. :p

Mister E
2011-11-01, 02:21 PM
That advice might be harder to act upon than you anticipated. The problem is that I live in a very rural, conservative area. The kind where just a few years ago, playing DnD would get you completely ostracized. I also know for a fact that one of the only (or maybe THE only) gaming store within a half-hour closed down years ago. I probably should have mentioned that, huh?:smalltongue:

Oh and as for the advice on videogames, yeah, I had guessed at that already. I meant it as an example in terms of combat mechanics, not story. I guess I'll just try and join in on one of the games here. Thank you all!

Socratov
2011-11-01, 06:46 PM
apart from finding the group, play what you like, don't let you distract you from playing what you like, but do accept help when making a character. It's hard enough as it is as a first timer and you should above all else have as much fun as possible.

Oh, and by the way... first timers are exempt from the "thou shalt not roleplay a character allready in existence in pop-culture, videogames, comics, or other forms of media". use it to your advantage, it will make rollpalying so much easier...

Dr.Epic
2011-11-01, 06:54 PM
Watch Lord of the Rings. It's basically D&D and a great movie!:smallwink: Seriously, if you're playing any sort of medieval fantasy RPG and want to get into the proper mindset, just go with LotR to prepare you. That, and most other sword and sorcery films too. Helps get you in the right mood.

Knaight
2011-11-01, 07:06 PM
Watch Lord of the Rings. It's basically D&D and a great movie!:smallwink: Seriously, if you're playing any sort of medieval fantasy RPG and want to get into the proper mindset, just go with LotR to prepare you. That, and most other sword and sorcery films too. Helps get you in the right mood.

A) Lord of the Rings doesn't even resemble D&D that much. Its far lower on the magic scale, has fewer monstrous elements, so on and so forth. The Silimarillion is closer, but still very different.

B) Lord of the rings is not sword and sorcery by any stretch of the imagination. The core conceit of the sword and sorcery genre is the largely amoral or immoral hero who is apart from society and trying to personally benefit. Moreover, "civilization" is usually a thin veneer at best in the genre.

Now, to the OP: My advice is to try and find a Skype game. They are comparatively fast paced, having voice is quite helpful, and it is often easy to try out a whole host of different systems, and find the one you like - D&D is not the only option, and I'd consider it a pretty bad place to start.

Mister E
2011-11-01, 07:31 PM
Now, to the OP: My advice is to try and find a Skype game. They are comparatively fast paced, having voice is quite helpful, and it is often easy to try out a whole host of different systems, and find the one you like - D&D is not the only option, and I'd consider it a pretty bad place to start.

That sounds good. Are the player recruitment forums good for joining Skype games? And if not, where do I look to find one?

Anderlith
2011-11-01, 07:37 PM
That sounds good. Are the player recruitment forums good for joining Skype games? And if not, where do I look to find one?

Find the nearest store that sells d20s, & ask if you can advertise LFG. You should find one very fast

Knaight
2011-11-01, 07:40 PM
That sounds good. Are the player recruitment forums good for joining Skype games? And if not, where do I look to find one?

I'm not sure honestly. I don't use GiantITP related channels for this.

Vixsor Lumin
2011-11-03, 11:44 PM
I'm a first time RPer to, :p none of my friends would be into playing anything like DnD but I've spent alot of time on the wiki and in the playground and I think I have anough of a grasp on the game to play. (Albeit it would have to be in a group forgiving of mistakes >.<) but is there a section in the play area of the site for newbies?