I. Basic Info
II. RP Style
III. Other Info
- Characters: Rhio Aldul, Marice Foxe (others possible in ARR)
- Primary character: Rhio Aldul
- Linkshells: Many former, none presently.
- Primary RP linkshell: See above
II. RP Style
- Amount of RP (light, medium, heavy):
I'd generally classify myself as a heavy roleplayer, but it's unfortunately not terribly descriptive to say all by itself. The fact is that I tend to be pretty method with my characters, focusing on their individual personalities over my own; however, at the same time I don't like to be inaccessible OOC. (I've written about a million columns emphasizing the need for OOC communication, so it's obviously important to me.) This also combines with the fact that I am a semi-public figure, so there's a certain amount of necessary break from immersion right there.
All that having been said, I'm in-character unless there's a compelling need or reason not to be in a given scene. Nor am I averse to the occasional OOC aside in the middle of a dramatic scene, because someone has to break the tension.
- Views on RP combat and injuries:
When it comes down to straight PvP or text-based dueling, I think there are cases to be made for both. The former has a role when a fight is supposed to be somewhat random, possibly a contest of equals, and when consequences for failure are fairly light. The latter is more important for scenes where the outcome matters, especially when used correctly to elaborate upon your character's traits as a whole. It's not whether or not you win, it's how you try to win.
Injuries are a natural outgrowth of any environment wherein people are swinging sharp bits of metal at one another. It should always be the subject of OOC discussion first, but adding some lasting injuries adds a lot of flavor to characters and roleplaying. It's just a matter of communicating with the player first and making sure that you won't be crossing a line.
- Views on IC romance:
Considering how many entanglements my characters in various games have had over the years, I'd be a hypocrite to say I was opposed to it.
As I mentioned before, I tend to go for method acting when I'm playing my characters, which often means they form attachments and attractions that I don't share myself. The important thing is making it clear that these are not my own feelings in the slightest; while I usually like the people behind the characters (otherwise I wouldn't be roleplaying with them) I've been in a happy relationship for eight years now and don't really look to change that. OOC communications become key here, as it's almost mandatory that both parties be aware of what's going on with the other one and where any uncomfortable lines might lie. If Rhio winds up attracted to someone who's uncomfortable with the idea, I'll gladly step out of her shoes and quash that by fiat.
Played properly, romance leads to a much more engaging roleplaying environment because there's something actually at stake. Played improperly, romance either becomes a tumorous element that subsumes everything else about the character. The trick is, just like everything else, making sure that your character has dimensions beyond lovelorn. Pining after someone is well and good; doing nothing else is another matter.
As far as steamier content goes, I'll just say I favor a modest fade to black and leave it there. I'm well aware that my characters have a life between the sheets, but I've no need to be quite that method.
- Views on non-romantic RP (family ties, etc):
Just as romance is a major element in roleplaying, the lack thereof is important as well. None of us go through our lives with nothing more than significant others; we have family, friends, rivals, bosses, and the like. Roleplaying encompasses all of those relationships in turn.
One of my personal preferences is to avoid soap opera syndrome, where every relationship is one filled with dramatic moments. Quiet friendships, low-key rivalries, and even mild dislike feels far more true to life. Cultivating people my characters actually want to just be around is an important element of roleplaying, a chance to create long-standing IC friendships that feel organic rather than forced.
- Views on lore:
There are two sides of lore, when you get right down to it. There's continuity, which is the part of lore that tells you exactly what happened when in varying degrees of detail. Then there's feel, which is the part of the lore that establishes what makes sense in the game world as a whole.
Continuity is inevitably filled with holes, because there's no way to create an absolute history of a fictional setting. Within those holes, there's plenty of space to add to or expand upon the existing lore of the game; Rhio, for example, traveled to places beyond what has been explained in the lore, but she avoids mentioning them by name. The key is ensuring that whatever you do to add upon the existing lore is still grounded in the same feel of the game, that whatever blank spots you choose to work within still carry the same basic essence of the core work.
Something that flat-out ignores or defies the lore is right out. Something that's working within the established framework but expands upon unseen elements is perfectly fine, so long as it matches the tone of the existing lore.
- Views on chat functions (/say, /linkshell, etc):
I always do most of my roleplaying in /say and /emote, since that's how characters would logically be communicating. If characters are meant to be somewhere other than their physical location - inside of a house, for instance - /party is a better option. /shout is usually off the table, and /linkshell is, well, linkshell chat - it's audio communication over long distances.
III. Other Info
- Country: United States
- Timezone: EST
- Contact info: Private messages are fine. Email is fine. Posting a message on the front page saying "HEY RHIO!" is fine but probably excessive. I write a whole lot of things that are published on a regular basis; my contact information floats around everywhere.
~Special announcements can be found in the posts below~
Blogging for dollars | The Mog Log | Storyboard (archive) | Telling Stories
In-character: Rhio's dossier | Out-of-character: Player profile
In-character: Rhio's dossier | Out-of-character: Player profile