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View Full Version : how seriously do you take your roleplaying experience?



robertbevan
2012-08-02, 04:35 AM
gaming, for me, has always been something to do with my friends. we laugh, we talk, we drink. and we play d&d.

i tried playing with a group of strangers i met online once, and it was kind of frightening. those guys were really into it. they never stepped out of character, they spoke in phony british accents, and they had long and boring conversations about their fictional gods. it was creepy and i was uncomfortable.

i'm not saying there's a right way and a wrong way to play. of course you should play whatever way is most fun for you. i'm just curious as to how other people play.

so... what's your style?

Grail
2012-08-02, 05:09 AM
a mix of those two.
It depends on the game, the group etc.

Of course, if I try a British accent, I get told to shut up generally.

Kol Korran
2012-08-02, 05:39 AM
Most people would say some sort of mix i assume.
For our group it's mostly about having fun together as people. With each person taking their character in a different degree of seriousness, though even our two "hardcore" players are doing this mostly for amusement sake. One of them likes props, gestures and such things to emphasize the character. The other one takes seriously to the character's speech and they way it acts. (he studied acting for some time). The others are less "in touch" with the characters. I'm afraid to say that even as the DM, I don't do too much of a convincing job.

Ravens_cry
2012-08-02, 05:44 AM
I can be very silly and goofy sometimes, delighting in clowning around and making others laugh.
Yet, probably hypocritically, I do like certain situations to be taken seriously, moments I feel are important to my character and feel a little disappointed if they are not.
I do often give my characters a distinct voice, though not always 'British'; that's when I play elves and I rarely play elves.
I just find it hard to get in the mindset of someone who has lived for hundreds of years, who is a centenarian before their culture considers them an adult.
Also, -2 CON hurts pretty much any class.

Krazzman
2012-08-02, 05:55 AM
Hmm tough one.

Currently we do something, speak a bit IC, call out Pop-culture references OOC or sometimes IC... jeah more of not sooo serious but about half serious.

Drglenn
2012-08-02, 06:00 AM
As a GM I generally run games semi-seriously, allowing some silliness but reigning it in when it gets too far (usually when the game has to stop due to disruption).

As a player I try to match the tone of the game, generally not a hard thing with my friends as they generally also play semi-seriously. I try to do appropriate accents when i can but tend to slip out of them relatively regularly

valadil
2012-08-02, 06:10 AM
Depends on the group. I can play a beer and pretzels game were character bands are optional and have a perfectly good time. I've done some pretty immersive larping too. My limit for serious rp is that I need plot. I can hce meaningless conversations in character for only so long before I get bored.

Winter_Wolf
2012-08-02, 07:50 AM
I have a definite George Carlin/Bill Hicks thing going. Not so much the Robin Williams thing. This is why I can't play with people I'm not already friends with, or at least have that very strong initial friend-connection vibe.

I'm not over the top serious, but I've been told that I have a dry sense of humor/a dark sense of humor/kind of disturbing intensity normally. I'm fond of sarcasm and irony. So I make a point of enjoying things that are light and somewhat frivolous, and prefer my gaming to be more about crazy musketeer swashbuckling than Gaming is Srs Bsns. Or to put it another way, I prefer Daffy Duck Robin Hood to Kevin Costner Robin Hood.

ShneekeyTheLost
2012-08-02, 08:06 AM
I've run the gamut from atmosphere-enhancing lighting and background music to beer-and-pizza games where 'whoever makes a monty python, legend of zelda, mario, or star wars reference takes a shot' is the most strictly enforced rule, other than the rule of cool of course.

I've ran games where the players themselves were walking away from the session shaking their heads, hands trembling, and begging for next week to be just as epic.

I've also ran games where the main skillmonkey was a Necropolitian Warforged Swordsage/Dread Pirate. He was, quite literally, a zombie-robot-ninja-pirate. The main tank was a Warblade named Ruroni Kenshen. There was a Jedi acting as a Beatstick that one-rounded a beholder with a well timed Reflect Beam. The party wizard was, meme for meme, Black Mage. The party Cleric spoke in a 'southern televangelist' voice when speaking in character, and one of the other characters, playing a Rogue with Craven, insisted on being called Sir Robin the Brave. He even picked up the Leadership feat just so he could have his bards singing in the background for him. I think he also picked up Ride (stick horse) and Perform (Coconut Halves).

Honestly, it's whatever is fun, man. If you enjoy BSing with your friends, using the game as an excuse to hang out... rock on. If you enjoy an epic and thrilling tale of heroism, as played by your characters... that's cool too.

When all is said and done... D&D is a game. The intended purpose of which is to have fun. If you aren't... something needs to be fixed.

caden_varn
2012-08-02, 09:34 AM
Depends on the game and the group, but I prefer to keep IC generally serious, with the comedy OOC. Unless I am playing a psychotic 6-foot cardinal bird in TMNT, but I think it goes with the territory in that.
The tone of the game has a lot to do with it. Games like CoC work better when people play fairly seriously. D&D can work either way, depending on what the DM and group are shooting for really.

I do play almost all my characters in a British accent, but then I'm English, so I would...

Kiero
2012-08-02, 10:49 AM
Ours is a serious (but not Serious) game. We gather specifically to play, we're not hanging out and happen to do some roleplaying. Diversions are kept to a minimum and the humour and levity is mostly IC rather than the players cracking fart jokes and the like.

only1doug
2012-08-02, 10:53 AM
All of our group speaks in british accents at all times, but we do occassionally chat off topic (but off topic chat remains in british accent).

incandescent
2012-08-02, 12:13 PM
I'm the main guy that does character accents when i play in my group. For
Some reason i'veade a connection between accents and roleplaying because it's the only time i have an excuse tp do one. I've played an irish thug in CoC, a monk with Kain's voice from the Legacy of kain series, and right now i'm playing a tiefling pirate with barbosa's accent. As a DM I tend ro be too scatterbrained to accent anybody. I notice that when i get deep into my chosen character accent some of the other guys drop into a half-british thing but others just stick to their normal voice. Our games tend to be on the sillier side of things but we try to maintain fidelity to whatever's going on. We'll laugh out of character or make comments on this plothole or that cliche or what have you but it's like having two atmospheres run at the same time: the game atmosphere and the social atmosphere. Then again, we play at a game store on the same day as the heroclicks (don't know if i spelled that right) tournament, so it's difficult to get too immersed. Especially when some days we have trouble hearing each other.

Eldonauran
2012-08-02, 12:29 PM
I maintain a bit of distance from the characters I play, in so much as I always refer to them in the 3rd person (he/she does this, says this). I am merely describing my character's action rather than acting them out. It helps me keep my personal and innate feeling and emotions from taking over the feelings and emotions of the character.

Averis Vol
2012-08-02, 12:42 PM
I like to keep things on track when I play, merely because when we get together Saturday we do so to play DnD.

Doesn't help that my group are like elan and belkar and I'm like Roy. :smallannoyed:

Gettles
2012-08-02, 01:46 PM
Not at all. When it comes down to it roleplaying is a rather silly hobby and as a result I tend to just roll with it and make a fool out of myself.

Orran
2012-08-02, 02:16 PM
I find my sessions start off very comedy based as we set the scene and get into character. Then as we get into the game it becomes more serious, as the players try and figure stuff out. Of course, sometimes something silly will happen and we will all break out the references and stupid voices again. It's good to just go with what's natural.

The highlight of last session was just as the players were at their most serious, after breaking into their target's house, and searching around, they were having trouble piecing together the clues. With a little helpful prodding from me, they eventually worked out that their target was a gnome disguised as a human child, and then had to capture him at the same time as his 'parents' burst in with the city watch. Fun times were had by all.

oxybe
2012-08-02, 02:50 PM
i'm very much "Beer & Pretzel + Rule of Cool".

i used to be "Playing Pretend is SRS Business" but then i graduated and lightened up.

nowadays it's more of an excuse to get out of the house and hang out with my friends then anything else.

i treat it like any other game or hobby: is it fun and am i enjoying the people i'm with? if yes, then continue playing. if no, go home and play mine craft/pokemon/whatever.

Tyndmyr
2012-08-02, 03:12 PM
My character is a level 12 forum whore, and I haven't broken character in years, now. Even in the before-times, those dark days when I didn't take it seriously enough, I knew I had to use the internet lingo offline, just to stay sharp. Roleplaying someone who cares about edition wars and arguments on the internet can be tiring sometimes, but it's all worth it in the end, when you defeat the great mods in the epic struggle and ascend to modhood yourself. For the Internets!

TheCountAlucard
2012-08-02, 03:21 PM
Of course, if I try a British accent, I get told to shut up generally.True fact: thanks to Hollywood, every location, in every period of history, has retroactively been peopled by people who speak English, and if the region isn't known for its own distinct accent (like Frahnce, where ze people talk like zis), those people will possess a British accent. :smallamused:

Whether said people can pull off said accent convincingly, however, is another matter.

Exediron
2012-08-02, 09:43 PM
True fact: thanks to Hollywood, every location, in every period of history, has retroactively been peopled by people who speak English, and if the region isn't known for its own distinct accent (like Frahnce, where ze people talk like zis), those people will possess a British accent. :smallamused:

Which is a bit odd, seeing as how Hollywood is American.

--=-=--

Anyway, I take roleplaying very seriously, but that doesn't mean I have to take the game seriously. I've played in plenty of short lived games where no real roleplaying occurred; it puts a limit on how much I can enjoy it, however.

To me, the purpose of the game is to realize my character(s) as fully as possible, including mannerism, voice (pitch, word choice - not accent, though; a lot of my characters would have an accent I don't know how to do, and therefore I prefer to do none at all), thinking method, etc. What I like the most about combat is getting into my characters' heads and figuring out what they would do based on the circumstances.

I don't go for playing combat as a co-operative strategy game with no care for the thinking of the character. I like military strategy and practice it as a hobby in other games and in scenarios I think up, but I only use this knowledge to help my characters who should have it. Also, my players have taken to sometimes making Knowledge (Tactics) checks to get advice from me. The point is that it's about thinking as the individual does, even if you know it isn't the right choice and might get them killed.

I would say that I definitely fall within the top percentile of dedicated role-players. I like to keep a nice field of characters active so I'm more likely to have someone present who can express an opinion or view I might have, but if I don't have someone to do it, no one does. My group uses a sign to indicate out-of-character speaking, although since we typically do voices for our characters it's pretty easy to tell anyway. I have never to my knowledge said something as one of my characters that the character would not say. The ones who aren't from earth are completely devoid of pop culture knowledge, save any they should pick up from their earthling companions.

As far as British accents are concerned, my characters don't employ them any inordinate extent, although I've been told that I myself possess one. My driving instructor wouldn't believe that I've never even spent any time in Great Britain, in fact. Perhaps it's down to watching too much Top Gear late at night...

Almaseti
2012-08-02, 09:53 PM
Which is a bit odd, seeing as how Hollywood is American.

Well, Britain is foreign, without being too foreign and therefore strange or difficult to understand.

Gamer Girl
2012-08-02, 09:58 PM
so... what's your style?


I'm a very serious gamer, but I love to have fun in the game. I don't get along well with the causal gamer who thinks of D&D like they are playing a game like Monopoly. And I don't get along well with the person who can't focus on the game, and just has to tell some dumb story or joke or something and not play.


During a game, we don't 'hang out', we just game. If people really 'must' socialize we either star early(Game starts at 7pm, but come over at 5 and you can socialize for two hours before the game starts) or set up another social activity(Sunday will be the cook out, no game, just a cook out).

Remmirath
2012-08-02, 10:08 PM
Depends on the group. And, to some extent, the setting.

In general, with my normal group, I take it what I would consider to be moderately seriously, but others I suppose might take as very seriously. I enjoy coming up with all aspects of my characters, figuring out how they think, and generally playing the character to the best of my ability. I care a good deal about the story, and the believability of the world. Since my usual group sees each other so often anyhow, out of character chatter isn't really much of a problem; we can always do that later in the day or earlier or whenever, and gaming time is gaming time.

In a couple other groups I'm in, I'm resigned to the fact that they just aren't in for that kind of game, and so I just enjoy it for what it is there. I do still put some effort into my character, because that's just how I am, but I don't really mind out of character stuff (unless it gets too major), and I don't expect all that much in the way of plot. I'm pleasantly surprised when it happens, of course. I do sometimes get annoyed in those groups when it seems like they're not even paying attention to the game - it's not as if we couldn't do other things to hang out, and if they don't seem to want to play the game, I wonder why they are.

One-shot games I sometimes get rather silly with, since I know they aren't going to last anyhow, and there's not much point in getting attached to anything about them. If the atmosphere is right, I might create outright joke characters in a one-shot.

As for how the setting matters to it... if it's set in a world not of the DM's creation, then how seriously I worry about doing things that are against setting depends on how much I care about the setting. I can, I am aware, be a bit annoying about that in MERP; Star Wars games I take some care to it, and I generally try to not flagrantly violate the setting, but I won't worry as much about a campaign set in the Forgotten Realms as I will one set in Planescape, for instance. If it is of the DM's creation, then my default is to take it seriously, but I'll adjust that depending on how the DM takes it.

Basically, I figure that if I just want to goof off and do fights and not roleplay, there are other games for that. Then I'd play a strategy game, maybe a FPS or what. If I'm playing a roleplaying game, I'm probably wanting to roleplay primarily (although this is not to imply I don't like combat in roleplaying games).

I suppose in general I take playing my characters in games about as seriously as I take acting a character in a play - it's much the same thing to me, with the added bonus in roleplaying that I'm creating the character as well as playing them. I don't do accents in either case, because I've really not much notion how and don't want to inflict my poor accent attempts on those around me.

I certainly don't think there's anything wrong with having a very casual game - it's just not really for me if it's more than a one-shot thing, and I would personally choose a different game entirely if I wanted a 'just hang out and have some food and drink and play a game' game.

jaybird
2012-08-02, 10:11 PM
In my games, first priority is cool, second priority is funny, third priority is story. For crap's sake, I just threw a Liberty Prime expy (The Great Crusader, a Knight (http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Knight) that was only controlled by its Machine Spirit) at my Black Crusade guys.

MachineWraith
2012-08-02, 10:37 PM
Generally speaking, playing your character as your character is taken pretty seriously, just because my group has had a bad experience with people letting IRL stuff bleed into the game.

Other than that? Not really at all. We're there to have fun. The game gets derailed with side topics and such pretty frequently, jokes are often made at everyone's expense, and movie and game references abound. We'll all quiet down and get back to the game after a couple minutes, but it is a game.

Das Platyvark
2012-08-02, 10:38 PM
My group is somewhere on the line. We've got no real actor types—everyone's in it for the fun or the story, or a power trip. (Yeah, that can make things difficult). Things are presented seriously, so long as everyone keeps in mind that anything that happens can be turned into a joke. It never really gets out of hand, though.

Doomboy911
2012-08-02, 10:46 PM
Suffice to say most of my character's accents quickly turn cockney or irish as those are my fortes oi.

I try to put a great deal of heart into my roleplaying as I get into the mindset of the characters I've made. My one character was a captured druid being forced to mark trees to be cut down which I thought would render him mute most of the time. I mean if you don't care about who you're playing than why should anyone else. It's easy as most of the time I play something similar to myself similar morals and such.

Slipperychicken
2012-08-03, 01:38 AM
I'm not an actor. I have my character do and say things I think are reasonable.

If I wanted to join an amateur acting-club, I would have done that, not DND. I'm here to kill things, take their stuff, and solve problems. That's what the system does well, and that's what I enjoy.


In terms of seriousness? I'm playing as a giant magical flying robot who can raise the dead and cast magic spells because he worships himself, who is the bodyguard of a horrifically-slutty princess with designs on the throne of a kingdom containing less than 1,000 people total. His (its?) best friends include a shapeshifter with green hair, and a 3ft tall lizard-man inquisitor.

I can't get serious about that.

Knaight
2012-08-03, 04:21 AM
I'm in between the extremes listed in the first post. There is generally in character stuff going on, and everyone involved is playing characters who are characters and not just caricatures. However, there is usually some level of out of character chatter as well, and I much prefer it that way. With that said, I'd break a session down into three parts - there's hanging out in general beforehand, then there is the game which is mostly IC, and then there is talk that is more about the game that is probably best described as premature reminiscing and conjecture.

Dusk Eclipse
2012-08-03, 04:56 AM
Current party includes but is not limited to a Saint-Pirate-Corsair captain, whose crew are a narcoleptic/pyromaniac mage, a chain smoking sniper/doctor whose idea of anestesyc is to hit the patient on the head with an hammecannon, a lesbian dragon-girl princess, a warlock whose familiars are a chick plushie, a turtle plushie and an animated journal and a violin player... sounds crazy right? And we absolutely love it, we have embraced the chaos and sillyness bith OOC and IC, though yeah the DM does sometimes ask to be a little bit serious for th most plot-important parts of the game (yes there is a plot).

So I like to think I am in the middle, I mean the point of a game is to have fun and if that means being serious because the game merits so, or it means quoting a random anime because the line just fits, I do that.

Moak
2012-08-03, 05:32 AM
I'm in between the extremes listed in the first post. There is generally in character stuff going on, and everyone involved is playing characters who are characters and not just caricatures. However, there is usually some level of out of character chatter as well, and I much prefer it that way. With that said, I'd break a session down into three parts - there's hanging out in general beforehand, then there is the game which is mostly IC, and then there is talk that is more about the game that is probably best described as premature reminiscing and conjecture.

This, for me too.

The only thing is that I don't like if someone, when in a high tension conversation IC, crap out a joke, destroying the tension. This is the only time were at my table is "forbidden" OOC.

Knaight
2012-08-03, 05:50 AM
This, for me too.

The only thing is that I don't like if someone, when in a high tension conversation IC, crap out a joke, destroying the tension. This is the only time were at my table is "forbidden" OOC.

Yeah, that's bad practice. If a character is suddenly forced into a situation of conflicted allegiance between her family and her duty, while the tension is already high jokes can be postponed. If a somewhat comic relief character is telling his friends how to contact the latest loan shark, listing the guy's number as 867-5309 is completely acceptable.

prufock
2012-08-03, 07:06 AM
I'd say semi-seriously. We don't normally drink during game sessions, except maybe Paranoia. We try to act in-character, talk from the first person, sometimes we do voices (changes in accents, inflections, timbre, quality), particularly the DM to distinguish between characters. We do our best to form a unit - no party infighting if we can help it. We try not to take stupid actions just because it would be cool or "for the story," unless of course those actions make sense in a cinematic way. We don't attack the mayor for looking at us funny.

That said, there's plenty of out-of-character and in-character joking going on. We're snacking throughout the night. We try to make sure everyone is having a good time.

cardboardbox!
2012-08-08, 03:24 PM
so... what's your style?

I believe there is a time and place for everything, ranging from the silliness of a player comment, to the intense situation that a DM/GM brings up. There are a few topics or themes that I will never have a time or place for, but usually games that I play or GM in are a mix of light heartedness to serious epicness to downright emotional.
Right now I'm playing in a SWSE game and it has a hint of comedy with a dash of seriousness, but its only been 1 session and already we get captured by sand people....*grumble* stupid bantha.

obryn
2012-08-08, 04:00 PM
gaming, for me, has always been something to do with my friends. we laugh, we talk, we drink. and we play d&d.
That's me and my group, too.

I mean, the amount of time and money I spend on D&D is relatively serious, but at the end of the day, it's just a great way for me to both entertain and have fun with my friends.

-O

Loki_42
2012-08-08, 05:55 PM
I'd like to play more seriously, but my group makes it really hard to do.

Fiery Diamond
2012-08-08, 06:14 PM
Mixture of IC and OOC conversation and discussion. Sometimes voices, other times not. Friendly atmosphere.

But definitely no alcohol. I despise alcohol.

Mastikator
2012-08-08, 08:38 PM
it was kind of frightening. those guys were really into it. they never stepped out of character, they spoke in phony british accents, and they had long and boring conversations about their fictional gods. it was creepy and i was uncomfortable.


This part basically is what I do. Well, it's only frightening, creepy and uncomfortable if I try to do voice acting and accents.

I never step out of character, I never metagame, I never don't research stuff my character should know based on his background. But I do come up with insane and potentially game disruptive/suicidal plans.

Kane0
2012-08-08, 09:16 PM
Our group is pretty easy. There are times when we are serious, but that is only when we are in a nasty combat or other threatening situation, which happens after our characters making fun of each other and carrying on. We make a point of our characters being 'seriously fun'.

For example:
Player 1 (backstory was he had his family and workmates killed by dragons): "This place is infested with evil, we need to burn it to the ground!"
Player 2 (a druid that would never hurt anyones feelings): Both IC and OOC "Like a dragon?"
Player 1: Half-seriously: "Roll initiative"

Korivan
2012-08-08, 11:17 PM
ha ha ha. hehehe. HAHAHAHAHAHA.

Seriously?, none. none at all. Our whole goal is to have as much fun as possible. We derail the train at the station, raid the snack cart and burn the evidence. We sometimes have an ultimate goal kinda thing. But our group meets so rarely that keeping a single story plot going is nearly impossible.

Dread Angel
2012-08-09, 02:31 AM
Generally my games have been rather relaxed, although getting into character is a fun part of the game.

On Sunday, I'm beginning a far more serious game, and I'm quite excited about it. As the DM, I do tend to get into it a lot... I have no compunction about leaping up and flipping nonfragile furniture when the PCs send an NPC into a towering rage, which they invariably do.

I do enjoy it a lot when my players get into character solidly. This one should be good - independently of each other, my players have written backstories that actually intertwine with almost no DM intervention. A rebellious noble, and that noble family's tiefling slave who escaped, for example. Really hope they can get into it enough.