I'm definitely in the boat of that not much has changed. Even back when I started rping, which is way too many years ago now, we would joke about how there's two types of rpers- those who admit to ERP and those who lie. It's not 100% true, of course, but I suppose it says something about how things once were. I think what's happened in Final, especially on Balmung, is that we don't per se have a goldshire and then an alternative that everyone else uses - Which is something that always puzzled me, since there's other tavern options very close by. The Quicksand in Ul'dah is an RP hub just as much for serious characters as it is for level 1 courtesans. And in general, there's a lot more peace and acceptance in our community than there are in some others/have been historically (from my experiences), so the things that were hidden away out of shame - not just limited to ERP - is more or less on full show.Â
But I would also hesitate to call those who purely seek ERP as roleplayers? At least when it comes to the level one variety. They're not something I see as a part of the rest of us, because the rules are different, IC/OOC is more blurred and self-inserting into your character is also something you see more. Aka people roleplaying as themselves. If it's the main goal, then honestly I see it as cybering. To me, the definition of ERP will always just be the erotic part of roleplay, a thing that needs to occur naturally and that some opt to skip kind of like how some opt to skip RP that involves a lot of walking. I find it a bit sad that perfectly good/healthy terms gets dragged through the mud and comes out of it like something regular rp'ers would no longer put on their resumé, because I see the need for RPers to be able to tag themselves up as one of the keys to having less ooc drama.
But I would also hesitate to call those who purely seek ERP as roleplayers? At least when it comes to the level one variety. They're not something I see as a part of the rest of us, because the rules are different, IC/OOC is more blurred and self-inserting into your character is also something you see more. Aka people roleplaying as themselves. If it's the main goal, then honestly I see it as cybering. To me, the definition of ERP will always just be the erotic part of roleplay, a thing that needs to occur naturally and that some opt to skip kind of like how some opt to skip RP that involves a lot of walking. I find it a bit sad that perfectly good/healthy terms gets dragged through the mud and comes out of it like something regular rp'ers would no longer put on their resumé, because I see the need for RPers to be able to tag themselves up as one of the keys to having less ooc drama.
