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BluSparkle98 · **10-21-2017, 11:46 PM**

TL;DR - I have never "role played" anything. I'm interested in it and I'd like to give it a shot with FFXIV

Long story. I've never done anything like this before and it kind of terrifies me...kind of interests me. At this point in time, I don't even know really where to begin. Some things I am currently aware of in some fashion.

Warrior of Light/Mary Sue/Main character syndrome are all no-nos. I learned this simply from reading books and watching shows where I hated perfect characters. It makes sense that in a game where there are going to LITERALLY be thousands of characters, me thinking I should be the "main" is really selfish and Im sure no one would play with me. I know I wouldn't play with others who did that!

Canon characters. This was one I learned about the hard way, actually! I used the Gardlond tools data to pull the exact model specifics for my favorite small time NPC, V'kebbe, and decided to make her in the game with the name V'kebbe The'Stray and boy howdy I didn't even make it to the Rogue class hall before someone told me that was really tacky (mateus). I figured it would be okay since she only plays a small part in the Rogue 1-30 questline and then is only ever seen again occasionally at the Bismark. But after doing some research here, I figured out my mistake.

So the core idea; make an interesting character for myself to play and others to play with. No super mega god. No annoying main character antics. Not an annoying jerk who no one wants to play with.

SO! Here are my main two questions; I actually lucked out and have a character on Balmung! I havent played them in literal years, but I have one! I also know Mateus is unlocked and is also considered an RP server. Is there any preference between the two? Since I have a character on Balmung with a fantasia and name change being so cheap, I could easily exit the Mizzenmast Inn as "First name Last name, the lore passing whatever." and go on the merry way!

Or should I play on Mateus since Balmung probably has more experienced RPers? Also, does there exist a FC or LS on either server that is very newb friendly and willing to teach?

As for character ideas, I'm very open to help here because honestly, I might end up making such a bland character...

I wanted to play a female hyurr, honestly because they seem the "easiest" to play since their lore isn't as muddled or extensive as, say, a Keeper of the Sun. I don't want to speak in the ye olde English or the Limsian dialect that. Honestly, I'm not even a fan of the "Is aught amiss?" instead of just saying "Is everything okay?" would that be an issue? OR am I kind of expected to understand and use the in game dialect? Understandably, things like Primals being called Primals and not Guardian Forces or Espers. But in terms of general speech, is modern day English mostly accepted? I have already tried to adapt Ilm, Fulm, Yalm, Malm, Onze, Ponze, and Tonze and I think I could easily use that instead of inch/yard/mile/etc

As for personality and backstory, this is where I really start to freeze up. I don't really know where to go from here. An idea I thought about would be a chef. A girl who just likes to cook and is the Rogue class, but only because it's the only class that uses knives. She'd maybe be a bit eccentric when it comes to cooking so in her way of thinking, killing/gathering the food herself is the only true way to bring out the best in the meal. This would give her a main theme, a chef, while also giving her an in universe reason to have a "job"/Fighting style. It would also get me to finally level a crafting class as well, since an in character chef wouldn't make sense if she didn't actually have the crafting class leveled!

But this is where I start to get muddled. Backstory wise, I was thinking of having her grow up on a farm or a smaller town outside of the "canon" towns, only because I'm not sure which town would suit her the best. I was thinking, even though I don't want to speak in a Limsan tone, she'd be from Limsa with dreams of being a big time chef for the Bismark and eventually own her own restaurant. Present time wise, I think it would be neat if maybe she was a waitress for the Bismark (or a PC eatery) as she learns to cook. She'd be in character either in the field gathering ingredients, cooking food somewhere to better her skills, and then of course as the Bismark/other place trying to be a waitress.

As for future goals, I'm not sure yet. I'd like to see where it goes. One thing I'm confused on is thematically speaking; what is to be done about the Rogue/Ninja classes? Finding glamour for non-short swords is fine and easy. Same with clothing. But the fighting style of ROG/NIN is a bit...well jumping and spinning. Assassinate, the mudra as a ninja. It starts to move away from the whole "I'm a chef who just chops at things with knives!" and I don't think any class really lends itself to the "I'm a normal person" ideal. I'm not sure what to really do here. Should I use an in universe reasoning at some future point where she finds a job crystal or just handwave that while IN GAME she's spinning and flipping and shooting fireballs, in character it's not all flashy and more just simple stabby and skinning?

I've typed a bunch of stuff and I'll be honest, I've written this and deleted it probably 12 times, so I'll just hit send right now and maybe ask more later if you guys are willing to read the wall of text and help me...

Kieron Lohengrin · **10-22-2017, 01:09 AM**

(10-21-2017, 11:46 PM)BluSparkle98 Wrote: TL;DR - I have never "role played" anything. I'm interested in it and I'd like to give it a shot with FFXIV

Long story. I've never done anything like this before and it kind of terrifies me...kind of interests me. At this point in time, I don't even know really where to begin. Some things I am currently aware of in some fashion.

Warrior of Light/Mary Sue/Main character syndrome are all no-nos. I learned this simply from reading books and watching shows where I hated perfect characters. It makes sense that in a game where there are going to LITERALLY be thousands of characters, me thinking I should be the "main" is really selfish and Im sure no one would play with me. I know I wouldn't play with others who did that!

Canon characters. This was one I learned about the hard way, actually! I used the Gardlond tools data to pull the exact model specifics for my favorite small time NPC, V'kebbe, and decided to make her in the game with the name V'kebbe The'Stray and boy howdy I didn't even make it to the Rogue class hall before someone told me that was really tacky (mateus). I figured it would be okay since she only plays a small part in the Rogue 1-30 questline and then is only ever seen again occasionally at the Bismark. But after doing some research here, I figured out my mistake.

So the core idea; make an interesting character for myself to play and others to play with. No super mega god. No annoying main character antics. Not an annoying jerk who no one wants to play with.

SO! Here are my main two questions; I actually lucked out and have a character on Balmung! I havent played them in literal years, but I have one! I also know Mateus is unlocked and is also considered an RP server. Is there any preference between the two? Since I have a character on Balmung with a fantasia and name change being so cheap, I could easily exit the Mizzenmast Inn as "First name Last name, the lore passing whatever." and go on the merry way!

Or should I play on Mateus since Balmung probably has more experienced RPers? Also, does there exist a FC or LS on either server that is very newb friendly and willing to teach?

As for character ideas, I'm very open to help here because honestly, I might end up making such a bland character...

I wanted to play a female hyurr, honestly because they seem the "easiest" to play since their lore isn't as muddled or extensive as, say, a Keeper of the Sun. I don't want to speak in the ye olde English or the Limsian dialect that. Honestly, I'm not even a fan of the "Is aught amiss?" instead of just saying "Is everything okay?" would that be an issue? OR am I kind of expected to understand and use the in game dialect? Understandably, things like Primals being called Primals and not Guardian Forces or Espers. But in terms of general speech, is modern day English mostly accepted? I have already tried to adapt Ilm, Fulm, Yalm, Malm, Onze, Ponze, and Tonze and I think I could easily use that instead of inch/yard/mile/etc

As for personality and backstory, this is where I really start to freeze up. I don't really know where to go from here. An idea I thought about would be a chef. A girl who just likes to cook and is the Rogue class, but only because it's the only class that uses knives. She'd maybe be a bit eccentric when it comes to cooking so in her way of thinking, killing/gathering the food herself is the only true way to bring out the best in the meal. This would give her a main theme, a chef, while also giving her an in universe reason to have a "job"/Fighting style. It would also get me to finally level a crafting class as well, since an in character chef wouldn't make sense if she didn't actually have the crafting class leveled!

But this is where I start to get muddled. Backstory wise, I was thinking of having her grow up on a farm or a smaller town outside of the "canon" towns, only because I'm not sure which town would suit her the best. I was thinking, even though I don't want to speak in a Limsan tone, she'd be from Limsa with dreams of being a big time chef for the Bismark and eventually own her own restaurant. Present time wise, I think it would be neat if maybe she was a waitress for the Bismark (or a PC eatery) as she learns to cook. She'd be in character either in the field gathering ingredients, cooking food somewhere to better her skills, and then of course as the Bismark/other place trying to be a waitress.

As for future goals, I'm not sure yet. I'd like to see where it goes. One thing I'm confused on is thematically speaking; what is to be done about the Rogue/Ninja classes? Finding glamour for non-short swords is fine and easy. Same with clothing. But the fighting style of ROG/NIN is a bit...well jumping and spinning. Assassinate, the mudra as a ninja. It starts to move away from the whole "I'm a chef who just chops at things with knives!" and I don't think any class really lends itself to the "I'm a normal person" ideal. I'm not sure what to really do here. Should I use an in universe reasoning at some future point where she finds a job crystal or just handwave that while IN GAME she's spinning and flipping and shooting fireballs, in character it's not all flashy and more just simple stabby and skinning?

I've typed a bunch of stuff and I'll be honest, I've written this and deleted it probably 12 times, so I'll just hit send right now and maybe ask more later if you guys are willing to read the wall of text and help me...

1. Enjoy the game, RP is secondary

2. Rewrite your bio as many times as you like, until you feel comfortable with introducing yourself to people

3. Start with small groups, and avoid taverns and big events because of chat scroll. RPing with 1-3 other players is a good way to ease yourself into it. If they're willing to escort you around the world and help out in dungeons then you've hit the jackpot

glhf \o

Faye · **10-22-2017, 01:44 AM**

1. I'm biased toward Balmung personally buuuut you can pick whichever you think sounds better, or give each a try! Mateus is smaller, but being that it's newer and has fresh people flowing to it, it has lots of opportunities. If you like smaller and more intimate communities, I'd recommend Mateus. Balmung, however, has a larger population and is a safe bet to always have a flourishing RP community whereas Mateus's future is a bit more rocky if and when Balmung is open again. If you like the stability and having more RPers/events/groups to choose from, I'd recommend Balmung. Even old role-players shouldn't mind you being new, and can hopefully help show you the ropes, so I wouldn't worry about trying to be around other new RPers (though they're also helpful in that you can learn and take the plunge alongside them).

2. You don't have to have your character speak in archaic English, plenty of people RP their characters speaking in modern English. The only thing I'd suggest is to avoid any slang that is too modern and wouldn't make sense in the setting. A character speaking in modern English is definitely less distracting imo than someone trying to write in Ye Olde English and not really knowing how to do it correctly so go with whatever makes you the most comfortable!! (I would recommend learning what you can of older English and Eorzean terminology just so you can understand other characters/RPers but you can always ask OOC if any meaning is unclear!)

3. You don't have you have your character's entire backstory thought out before you jump into RP, so I wouldn't fret it! For me, I just get a base idea of my character's appearance, background, personality, mannerisms, goals, etc. and jump into RP. From there, I fill out the bio as I go along with whatever traits the character has adapted via RP or whatever details I find I've had to make up on the fly in role-play. Of course this is just want I find best for me, some people like to have everything fleshed out first, but it's definitely not necessary.

4. You don't have to write out any dialect/accents, that's just a matter of personal preference! Some people think it gives the RP flavor and can easily communicate their characters origins and make their "voice" easier to hear in your head. Some people think it's distracting or difficult to read at times, and there's a real world argument that accents should not be written out phonetically in dialogue because it implies there is one "correct" accent and anything else is "wrong." So it's definitely just personal choice!

5. The classes' and jobs' in game abilities often tend to be a bit more flashy and/or overpowered for a more "realistic" style of combat, if that's what you prefer. Some people like a "fantasy" approach and like to incorporate the flashier or less believable skills, and that's totally fine. I'd say just try to figure out which you'd prefer. You don't have to actually copy/use the actual class skills in your RP. If your character is, for example, a rogue as was mentioned, in combat you could have your character do whatever you think they realistically could do with a pair of knives. You can add in moves and tactics that aren't featured in in-game skills, and you can also opt not to use some moves featured in game skills if you think they're too far out there as far as believability goes.

Lydia Lightfoot · **10-22-2017, 02:41 AM**

Hey there! If you'd like, come say hi to the members of the Reliquarian's Guild - you can read about us via the link in my signature, and there's a link to our Discord on that page - and we'd be glad to help you get started. Some of us have helped mentor new roleplayers in the past, and, some of us are new roleplayers just like you, so you'll probably find a nice balance. Faye (the poster just above me) is one of the guild's members and has a ton of experience, as do I. :3

Ellmida · **10-22-2017, 09:54 AM**

To be honest, most people just start by jumping in. It sounds like you are really eager to do things right on the first step and that's great! Just don't worry too much about making a mistake, you'll be fine.

Strictly speaking I don't think it matters what server you decide on, I've heard Balmung is easier to find more random RP but no way of comparing it personally to Mateus. If you don't mind a text wall I would suggest popping in to some of the events here or the main city inns to get a feel for how everyone role plays. Barring that just ask for RP here and everyone should accommodate.
Â There's not really a right or wrong way to RP. I personally never try to effect an accent in text because I just can't do it and it's never been a big deal. Several people do not do much with the race lore and that's fine too.Â

I think the only thing people are really particular about is when the focus is all steered to one character or if the characters personal lore is so out there it becomes a disruption for other characters to acknowledge. Other than that most people are pretty flexible.

Good luck have fun and let us know if you want random rp!

Zen Ares · **10-22-2017, 10:52 AM**

Welcome to the world of roleplay. You're standing on the cusp! Smile

Â

In addition to the wonderful advice given above, I can also suggest taking a view at roleplay much as a writer does when creating a character for a book. (In fact, roleplay has launched several writers who now make their living on writing, so it's a good place to get another perspective on creating characters.)Â

When creating a character, remember that roleplay is collaborative, so not only are you creating a character that you hope to enjoy, but also one that others will enjoy. One way to start is to "world build" your character. Many new RPers don't grasp that the worlds we RP in are usually vastly different than the real world, and will often create a character with a Real World view and try to wedge them into a fantasy setting. What results is a character that uses real world lingo and ideals to move through the setting, and even if the lore is followed, the characters feel out of place.Â

You have a great grasp on using the lore language, such as yalms, bells, etc. Another suggestion is to pay attention to to the content of the quest lore to further world-build your character. In adventuring, there are two types of quests you'll mainly run into: The main story quests (MSQ) and normal quests, which are optional.Â Doing the normal quests will open your perspective to how the non-heroic people of FFXIV live, learning what worries them, how they love, fight and live. It's the best source of quick lore I've come across to get into that mindset. The MSQ is great to pay attention to if you have a view toward playing a hero or villian in the world of FFXIV.Â

On the note of using accents, you don't have to RP one, although many people do as part of building their character into the world. One way to get around it is implying the character has an accent within an emote when they begin to speak, and other is pay attention to the way NPCs structure their sentences in the area you would like to have them from. Also, the more educated a person is, the more they lose an accent and dialect. You could RP a scholar that was raised in Limsa Lomisa (for example), who's largely lost their accent, but might fall into saying anyroad instead of saying anyway. Or Aye instead of yes. Just little things like that.Â

As for server, I'm on Mateus and if you land over there, I'd be happy to help give you practice in a quiet environment to help you get eased into RP, so that you feel comfortable in jumping off the deep end, or I can even have my character "bumb into" your's in one of the lesser populated RP hot spots. Ul'dah is where a good portion of RPers converge for walk-up RP. Girdania and Limsa also get walk-up RP opportunities, but aren't as busy.Â

Either way you go, there'll be people willing to help you, and I hope you find the magic that we did. Smile

Sounsyy · **10-22-2017, 12:20 PM**

Welcome to Eorzea and RPC! There's been a lot of great advice so far, so here's my two gil~

(10-21-2017, 11:46 PM)BluSparkle98 Wrote: Warrior of Light/Mary Sue/Main character syndrome are all no-nos. Canon characters. So the core idea; make an interesting character for myself to play and others to play with. No super mega god. No annoying main character antics. Not an annoying jerk who no one wants to play with.

Like Zen said above, roleplay is collaborative writing and your character should be fun for you and hopefully fun for others. In general, this means: the more widely available you make your character, the wider range of RP partners you can enjoy. It's not that playing a WoL or a canon character is wrong, per say, just that it limits your scope of who you can RP with in the community. If you find a group of people who play a higher level of power or a group of WoL characters doing the MSQ, then making a more powerful, WoL level character makes sense. If you're wanting to play canon characters, you find a group of people who are into that thing - and there are plenty out there who enjoy that! But it can also be as simple as making a Wood Wailer character that may limit a good bit of your RP to what's going on in Gridania. On Balmung, and sort of as an extension, Mateus too, you'll appeal to the widest range of roleplayers by playing the "everyday" folk.

_____________________________

(10-21-2017, 11:46 PM)BluSparkle98 Wrote: SO! Here are my main two questions; I actually lucked out and have a character on Balmung! I havent played them in literal years, but I have one! I also know Mateus is unlocked and is also considered an RP server. Is there any preference between the two?

Why not both! Make a character you want to play on Balmung and either the same or different character on Mateus and see which server you prefer?

Mateus is a newer, yet thriving, community where people are trying to hash out new plots and experiences. There's not as high of a population there, but from what I've heard it doesn't hinder anyone finding RP if they're looking for it. Balmung is an older, more established server with myriad communities of different levels and experience. A new person can just as easily find their place here as they have in the past when Balmung was an open server. There's more RP, but you may not be able to push into all of it and many new people find that daunting. But your experiences may vary!

_____________________________

(10-21-2017, 11:46 PM)BluSparkle98 Wrote: As for personality and backstory, this is where I really start to freeze up.

You have a great starting concept already! A Hyuran chef/waitress from La Noscea trying to hack it in the biggest port city in Eorzea. For some people, that's more than enough to get started. Others like to come up with a more detailed backstory.

For that, knowing a little bit of world building lore can help, (And if you need help on that, just gimme a shout and I can see what I can do!) but isn't always 100% necessary. There's plenty to learn from reading random NPC dialogue and doing the small side quests that litter the map. Here's a little bit of lore on the Bismarck, for example:

Show Content

Bismarck Lore

Encyclopedia Eorzea - The Culinarians' Guild Wrote:Know to spend as much time in the galley as on the bridge of his ship, Admiral Guolskyf Bhaldwaensyn was a true gourmand. Some fifty years ago, he set out to catalog every recipe of note in the realm. In service of this lofty goal, he founded the Culinarians' Guild, and codified current cooking methodologies. Since its establishment, the guild has worked not only to collect recipes and ingredients from all corners of the world, but also to devise novel creations of its own, such as the infamous "eggless omelette." Its culinarians labor day in and day out to eclipse their last masterpiece at their restaurant, the Bismarck. Its name is synonymous with the culinary culture of Limsa Lominsa throughout the realm, and many are the men who have crossed the seas specifically to dine at the restaurant.

1.0 Lodestone Wrote:The Bismarck - forever titillating the tongues of travelers, and assuaging the appetites of adventurers - where gourmands from around the globe gather to dine on delectable dishes, to sup on sumptuous soups, to indulge their innermost cravings. Pass through the gates of Eorzea's premiere culinary establishment and be greeted with a bountiful array of exotic delights from beyond the boundless seas. Watch and be amazed as grand battles unfold in the kitchens over fire and flame, pitting experienced masters against budding young chefs, eager to divest their mentors of their most secret recipes. Give in to the forbidden desires of your polished palate and join our goodly guild to begin the climb up gilded steps to gustatory greatness!

Pulmia Wrote:You are well come to our restaurant and guild, fine sir. Might you be interested in learning the culinary arts? The Bismarck is renowned throughout Eorzea for its exotic cuisine, making it a popular destination for those whose travels bring them to Vylbrand. Unfortunately, we seem to suffer from a constant shortage of chefs, and are accordingly never less than willing to accommodate any who would lend a hand in our kitchens.

Frailoise Wrote:You think chefs have it easy, eh? I had to scrub floors for five years before I was even allowed to touch a frying pan--and that was only to wash it. Another three years of doing that and they finally let me use the stoves. And don't even ask how many stoves I had to light and tend before I was permitted to actually cook something over one.

Pulmia Wrote:You see, it is nigh on impossible to become a cook here at the Bismarck. Rare is it there are ever any openings, and when one does become available, scores of applicants from across the realm battle for that single position. A few years past, there was an opening, but our guildmaster, driven by the voice betwixt his legs rather than his shoulders, included an extra condition - that the applicant be of the fairer sex. Prudentia, having no other option available to him, short of becoming a eunuch, did what he thought was best to win the positionâ€¦ And win it he did, though not because of his ruse. He won his place because his culinary creations outshone those of all the others.

Yet there are only so many things one can hide with a dress, perfume, and fastidious personal grooming, and it was not long before everyone at the restaurant knew of Prudentiaâ€™s secret. And, though the guildmaster was somewhat deflated by the revelation, he could not deny that Prudentiaâ€™s dishes, at least, were the genuine article. And so he let himâ€¦ her remainâ€¦ but only so long as his true identity was kept from our clientele. There are quite a few male customers who come to the Bismarck to dine especially on Prudentiaâ€™s dishes. If they were to become privy to the truth, then there might beâ€¦ erâ€¦ trouble.

G'nibnpha Wrote:If you're looking to stimulate your palate with something more refined than the standard Lominsan fare of blackened merbeast and watery ale, you'll be pleased to know that the world-famous Bismarck is but a moment away.

R'sushmo Wrote:There's a whale of a tale behind the name of this place. Well, it's the tale of a whale, actually. Bismarck devoured all that lay in his path, and the restaurant hopes its diners will follow suit.

Enraptured Traveller Wrote:Itâ€™s not often I find myself in Limsa Lominsa these days, what with the Sahagin raids and all, but when I do come, I never miss a chance to dine at the Bismarck. Not only is the food outstanding, but it is a wonderful place to meet other travellers and hear tales of their exploits.

There's also plenty of towns, hamlets, and villages across La Noscea (the southern region of Vylbrand where Limsa Lominsa sits) that your character could be from. Several of them have no names, so you can be from any of these. There's some like Brookhaven, Halfstone, or Quarterstone that were destroyed by Sahagin and no longer exist. You can be from one of the current towns you see in game also. Talk around to the NPCs there to find out a bit about the town and see if it's a good fit for your character!

As you can see in the dialogue above, there's plenty of Lominsans who don't speak with a Lominsan accent or the infamous "pirate talk." So no matter where your character is from you can speak how you feel comfortable. Or, if you wish to have your character have an accent, something as simple as /em speaks in a mild Lominsan accent, "Is there anything I can get you to drink?"

Finally, using Rogue/Ninja as your going-around class of your Chef is totally okay! Class/Game Mechanics do not always equal character. If you don't want your character to jump around and fillet things with obnoxiously large knives, that's totally okay! Most people don't bat an eye at people using a class's aesthetic as simply that, aesthetic. For instance, my main character often uses the Machinist class because it has a gun. But my character isn't a Machinist. She's a musketeer in Limsa. But the muskets the Maelstrom and Yellowjackets use aren't available to use, so I handwave it.

I have a chef character myself. She's a Hyur from Thavnair. Most of my outfits use the Culinarian class, but she also has warrior and monk leveled. Monk is a nice casual, walking around class because I can glamour the weapons away. She's not a fighter, at all. She's not a warrior, she's not a monk. She can't even really punch someone right. And she's not a culinarian for the Bismarck, but I use the aesthetic for clothes and RP. It works for me.

Hope this helps some! ^^

BluSparkle98 · **10-22-2017, 03:23 PM**

Wow, I know I typed a lot, so I guess I should have expected such long and detailed responses! Thank you all so much.

I decided to give it a shot on Balmung first, as a server, only because I had a character already around 20, so I got to "skip" the first "boring" bits of the game. I might try Mateus out later on though, some of my experiences with people have been...Well it may have just been some bad apples. I digress.

I've decided to make a somewhat broad idea for the character. A young Hyur girl who grew up -fairly- well off. Not rich and posh, but a bit above middle class I'd say. Very well learned but has always had a penchant for stories about adventurers and whatnot. Still aspires to cook things, but it's less of a focus and more of a hobby I'd like her to work her way to being good at. Fishing and Culinary have been picked up and leveled a little bit. I'd like her to have sort of a fascination with adventurers and always want to hear stories or tales of their deeds.

The idea sounds fun to me and I think having a character like this should make for some easy RP with if they go on any sort of adventure.

Last night/This morning was my first forray into playing. I tossed on my RP tag and went about my business playing mostly as normal. I intentionally walked around people instead of through them/running through them and jumping "over" them like I normally would. When I was cooking, I only cooked in the CUL hall and off to the side and not in the middle of the floor. Walked down stairs instead of hopping over the railing, things like that. When I hunted the megalocrab out north of Summerford, I took the path down instead of the long jump and eating fall damage. When I would do fates, I threw some common used emotes in some unused spaces of my bar. Annoyed at enemies who ganged up on me, furious at the frogs who pulled me. Cheering for myself after a fate or accomplishing a hunting log or a tough fight.

It...so far has actually been a lot of fun for me! Just playing the game slightly differently has brought out some un-tapped enjoyment. But with all of the "good" sides, there are some...well bad ones.

I found a party finder where there was an "FC" advertising their Ramen shop (If you two who saw me see this...Im sorry!). So I unlocked the mists and traveled to their restaurant and read the plaque and then I noticed two of the FC members out in front of the house who waved at me...So I logged out instantly and watched youtube for about 10 minutes before coming back and teleporting away because they were still around but not paying direct attention to me! I was too nervous to even emote back!

Someone walked up to me (I did put on my list walk ups welcome...) and he tried to strike up a conversation out in the field. Asking directions to the mines. I was able to essentially point him in the right direction and he asked if I would accompany him since he wasn't good with directions. I...I alt F4'd the game because Teleport needed to be channeled and logging out would take 20 awkward seconds. (If you're here adventuring cave spelunking friend...im sorry)

A bit later someone sent me a tell asking me if I did ERP. I just didn't reply and they never said anything after that. One guy spotted my sprout and asked if I needed any help. He was using a lot of video game terms so I assumed he wasn't RPing so I just talked to him like normal. No issues there. I don't have a problem with talking to others, but it seems like every time someone tries to talk to me in character in any capacity, I freeze up and get too shy and nervous.

It's a work in progress...but I think Mathilda is going to have a personality trait of being a shy girl if I don't figure something out! Lol

As for more advice. It seems a bit weird to ask, but what other things should I do? I have an idea of how my character will act and her backstory. But do I just type it up in word for my own notes? I notice some people have a link in their search info, but I can't click it so I have to manually type it in...which I've never done party because I'm a tad lazy and the other because I'm not sure what it will lead to.

Would you guys suggest just joining an FC/Guild/LS/group of RPers just to dive right in? It probably is a tad silly to ask but...how mandatory is Discord? I have one I made for Mathilda, but If I'm nervous as hell to just TYPE at someone, I imagine I'd have a mini heart attack if someone wanted to voice-chat RP!! (or is discord RP just mostly still typing?)

Thank you guys so much for replying and reading all of my text. I just don't want to make a fool of myself or waste other peoples time...I think.

Lydia Lightfoot · **10-22-2017, 08:06 PM**

(10-22-2017, 03:23 PM)BluSparkle98 Wrote: -le snip-

Would you guys suggest just joining an FC/Guild/LS/group of RPers just to dive right in? It probably is a tad silly to ask but...how mandatory is Discord? I have one I made for Mathilda, but If I'm nervous as hell to just TYPE at someone, I imagine I'd have a mini heart attack if someone wanted to voice-chat RP!! (or is discord RP just mostly still typing?)

Thank you guys so much for replying and reading all of my text. I just don't want to make a fool of myself or waste other peoples time...I think.

Linkshells/groups/discords, yes. I think I run the only group that refers to itself as a guild, so I'd also say yes there (but of course I would, lol!). I wouldn't recommend joining an FC right away, though. There's so many public events and friendly faces on Balmung that you really needn't even be in an FC at all if you don't want to be, and you'd still have loads of RP opportunities, so if it were me, I'd take my time on that.

Nearly everyone seems to use Discord, but, most do not use it for voice chat (some do when doing like... raiding, and things like that, but that's kinda it usually). It's almost 100% for text chat. Very useful for keeping in touch outside the game, to coordinate availability for RP, notify each other of upcoming activities and events, and to just generally chat about characters and story ideas and things like that.

Roen · **10-22-2017, 09:06 PM**

(10-22-2017, 03:23 PM)BluSparkle98 Wrote: I found a party finder where there was an "FC" advertising their Ramen shop (If you two who saw me see this...Im sorry!). So I unlocked the mists and traveled to their restaurant and read the plaque and then I noticed two of the FC members out in front of the house who waved at me...So I logged out instantly and watched youtube for about 10 minutes before coming back and teleporting away because they were still around but not paying direct attention to me! I was too nervous to even emote back!

Someone walked up to me (I did put on my list walk ups welcome...) and he tried to strike up a conversation out in the field. Asking directions to the mines. I was able to essentially point him in the right direction and he asked if I would accompany him since he wasn't good with directions. I...I alt F4'd the game because Teleport needed to be channeled and logging out would take 20 awkward seconds. (If you're here adventuring cave spelunking friend...im sorry)

Oh my goodness, this made me chuckle. I don't mean to sound like I am teasing, but it was so cute to imagine.

I think you have some good advice here, and yes, go to events, but BE READY for scroll spam though, that kind of stresses me out.

Discord, as Lydia said, is mostly for text chat. Voice chat OOC with only people you know and raid with. At least that's what I use it for. I use discord to touch base in terms of scheduling RP, since friends list and searching for people in game can be really cumbersome.

I can see your enthusiasm for RP and I am cheering you on! Keep at it! I hope you will have lots of fun with it as most people do. I have one character only that is currently not in Othard, but if you just want to shoot the breeze in character just to ease into it, I would be happy to meet up! Just let me know.

Good luck! Thumbsup

Faye · **10-22-2017, 10:47 PM**

(10-22-2017, 03:23 PM)BluSparkle98 Wrote: As for more advice. It seems a bit weird to ask, but what other things should I do? I have an idea of how my character will act and her backstory. But do I just type it up in word for my own notes? I notice some people have a link in their search info, but I can't click it so I have to manually type it in...which I've never done party because I'm a tad lazy and the other because I'm not sure what it will lead to.

You can type up a document for yourself to help remember things and flesh out your ideas, or you can create a wiki here or post a bio elsewhere for your character. Smile

Any sort of public biography will help other people learn more about your character, and can help them find a creative direction for the RP. Some people are lazy and some people are understandably wary of going to random URL's in someone's search info (also good to use caution because every now and then someone does share an f-list URL...), but a lot of people do at least skim the wikis, I have mine linked in my search info and I am surprised by how many people told me they've looked at it! You can use tinyurl.com or tiny.cc to make the URL smaller so that it will take up less space in your search info and be easier for others to type out.

(10-22-2017, 03:23 PM)BluSparkle98 Wrote: Would you guys suggest just joining an FC/Guild/LS/group of RPers just to dive right in? It probably is a tad silly to ask but...how mandatory is Discord? I have one I made for Mathilda, but If I'm nervous as hell to just TYPE at someone, I imagine I'd have a mini heart attack if someone wanted to voice-chat RP!! (or is discord RP just mostly still typing?)

I would suggest it--at least once you've built a little confidence and gotten your nerves ready! If you panic and run off from someone's attempt to RP, they might take it personally. D: Discord is not mandatory in general (though it may be mandatory for some specific groups) but is very helpful and used for almost any group these days. Voice chat RP is not really a thing. That's not to say it doesn't exist, just that there's a good choice you will never see it happen or find anyone who does it. Some groups do like to use voice chat for OOC discussion, but it's almost never mandatory, and some RP groups don't do voice chat at all. You definitely won't need to ever hop into a voice chat if you aren't comfortable. Discord is mostly just used for text chat, either to do RP out of game, or for OOC chatter and coordinating RP.

Valence · **10-23-2017, 03:52 AM**

If you have troubles with impromptu RP out of the blue (which leads you to alt F4 and whatnot), may I suggest to start small and find a few connections to set up RP through OOC and discussion with someone first so you get more at ease? It's often a lot less dry to be able to speak with the people you RP with, about your characters, what's happening and all.

Good luck in any case!

Mermaid · **10-23-2017, 09:47 AM**

Oh wow. The more I read this thread the more I'm reminded of myself. I can handle forums and the like but once I get in game where everything is real time and people can see my character and interact with it I freeze up. There's less hiding behind the screen, people can see you move, and you can't edit out the typos you miss. It all feels more personal, you know? Someone complimented my glamour the other day and I started to say thank you then freaked out thinking "Oh no, what if they try to have a conversation with me?!". I completely stopped moving, alt tabbed, and waited for the little red chair to pop up next to my name. You're not alone, OP!

I'm still struggling with in game RP. I'm new to RPing in MMOs and am a really weak writer but scheduling issues are what's really killing it for me. So either my advice will be good because I know where you're coming from or bad because I'm still struggling myself. Honestly, I think everyone here has already given you a lot of great advice.

There are a couple things I can add. The first is a bit of advice that's really helped me in the past 6 months or so. You don't decide whether you're worthy of someone, they decide. Don't pass up an opportunity because you're new and don't think you're good enough. Tell people you're new and if they don't want to deal with that then it's on them. If someone experienced is willing to work with you, take that opportunity and learn as much as you can from it. You lose nothing by trying and you'll only get better by doing it. I wouldn't be doing savage raids if I didn't take this advice to heart.

The other involves you saying you might make your character shy. There's pros on cons to it. I play a shy character because I have experience roleplaying that type of character and I can draw from my own experiences a bit. The problem is that kind of character needs to be pushed a bit to interact with people. You either need to create reasons for them to interact (they bumped into someone, they need to ask for directions, etc) or preplan things with people. Some people will find it annoying because they don't like having to "do all the work" to interact with your character. The best you can do is try to make sure your character only needs to be pushed and not dragged. Maybe they're curious and ask lots of questions after the ice is broken. Maybe they're lonely and really want to make friends. Maybe they're really polite and feel obligated to carry on with a conversation. Lone wolves who try to push everyone away rarely work.

Otherwise just take the advice here and do what's best for you. For some people being pushed in the pool is what they need to get going. For others that's traumatic and they need to take it slow and get used to the water. Keep trying to dive in like you have been but if it doesn't work for you then don't sweat it. Throw up a Making Connections thread here and plan with people a bit so you know what to expect. You'll get into it eventually if you keep trying. Thumbsup

Gegenji · **10-23-2017, 12:32 PM**

(10-23-2017, 09:47 AM)Mermaid Wrote: Oh wow. The more I read this thread the more I'm reminded of myself. I can handle forums and the like but once I get in game where everything is real time and people can see my character and interact with it I freeze up. There's less hiding behind the screen, people can see you move, and you can't edit out the typos you miss. It all feels more personal, you know?

-snip-

You'll get into it eventually if you keep trying.

Just to add my little bit based on this section here... I kinda felt the same way when I started. I've mentioned this here and there but FFXIV is the first MMO I actually started RPing in, despite having done RP via chat rooms, forums, and classic pen and paper for a while. Despite all that, when I first logged in with Chachan... I felt a pretty heavy sense of unease. Like I was getting in over my head by trying to jump in on all this.

But also like Mermaid here says, it gets better once you get a few RPs under your belt and get a feel for the RP. You'll likely make some mistakes - I know I made quite a few (and sometimes think I still do even a couple years later... Laugh

) - but treat those as learning experiences more than failures. They're simply growing pains as you get used to the whole idea. Things will get better and more comfortable as you go along.

As for how to go about doing it? The big events all sound well and good but that's a lot of scroll to keep up with, and it seems like you're still a bit tentative to really just dive in and RP with random people. So I'll echo the suggestions that you get in touch with a couple folks - perhaps even some of the folks posting in this very thread! - and see if you can't do a couple low-key, one-on-one RPs to help you dip your toes in somewhat. Ease you into FFXIV RP.

However you decide to tackle it, I wish you the best and... should you wish to bump into my friendly little dork of a Lalafell, just let me know. Smile

BluSparkle98 · **10-24-2017, 12:18 AM**

I know some things before you read this, so juuust to clarify some stuff before you click;

A lot of this was written ALMOST from Maddies own point of view, per say. I know she'll never become a Dragoon and I know that she'll forever (Or for awhile) stay a slightly clumsy, issues with accountability, but good nature girl looking for adventure. But there is flavor text there of her doing things like "trying to emulate dragoons like from stories" and jumps and crazy stuff like that. A lot of it is to get across almost how...Innocent? she is. She's a day dreamer and she's not really been hit with the harsh realities of the world yet. I don't plan for her to randomly become highly competent and a high flier.

And only 4 of the rumors are true. Haha. And no, the Rarely Heard isn't one, she wont be like that, I just thought it might be an interesting rumor to have follow her. I haven't written a backstory yet, but it will entail her falling in love with adventuring and more or end with her first 6 months in Limsa, bumming around.

Other than that, tell me what you guys think! I'd appreciate any and all feedback.

oh man I sure hope I'm doing this right...

and it should look like this on my search info, right?

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[Discussion] First time writer/RPer

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