A Question for Balmung

[Klynzahr]

 

99% of the time the stereotypes are wrong, but that initial interaction is usually fun, and breaks the ice.

 

It's even funnier when you unintentionally get it completely right.

 

"Yer Ishgardian? Yer know anythin' bout these thrice damned heretics folk be yammerin' about?"

 

Little did she know.......

 

 

I do keep 'Walk up friendly' in my tag on the simple hope that someone may try to start something up and in an attempt to seem less intimidating for shy players.

 

Since I don't have much trouble initiating random encounters, I try to take the initiative when the chance presents itself. However this requires Klyn to be standing in a plausibly IC location, with no OOC obligations, or ques about to pop.

 

I also need to see some sign that my potential target the other party is open to an encounter. Simply emoting that your character has sat down on a bench, is enough for me to realize that they are present IC and accidentally dump Klyn's drink on their head or mistake them for a cactuar to get things rolling.

 

The last important thing to remember is that initiating RP requires a fair bit of creative energy. There are days when I can provide that and other days when I'm just too tired. Even if I only manage to start random RP once every week or so, I will continue to keep it in my tag because I see it as a welcoming gesture.

[Lilia Lia]

I really, really wish there were an easy way to tell when it's okay to inject myself into people's RP and when it's considered intrusive.  Personally I LOVE when outsiders acknowledge an RP that I'm having in public, because it makes the world feel more real to me.  And I'd love to contribute to that also for people who feel the same way I do.

 

One of my favourite early memories of RP was when me and a few of my FC-mates were doing an IC Stone Vigil run, and when we approached the place, someone who was standing nearby warned us about the horrors inside and pleaded with us to reconsider going off to certain death.  That was just so perfect and it set the tone wonderfully. 

 

But, I also know there're people who feel that randoms involving themselves in their RP is generally unwelcome.

 

I've gotten into an RP only to back out and then get a /tell saying "I wish you hadn't left, that was fun."  And I've never had the opposite experience really, of people saying my getting involved was unwelcome, but I'm sure people are just not going to say anything if it was.  So hard to tell.

 

Currently my rule is to engage for a little bit, and then based on the interaction, try to get a sense for whether I'm unwelcome and then gracefully dip out.  It's easy enough to "walk away" after you "walk up" after all.

 

RP etiquette is impossible sometimes... ho hum.

[Caspar]

My couple thoughts.

 

Having "Walkup OK/Welcome/whatever" is still very much a one-way thought. It means you are fine with someone coming up to you! ....but nowhere does it imply that you would do the same to someone else.

 

And I think that's part of the issue with it. We've got too many people who would like to be approached instead of approaching others. I'm guilty of it. I think I'm bothering people 4/5 times I think of asking for RP. It happens outside the game too. Used to work in a restaurant. Worst part? Pre-bussing a table. That thing where you interrupt someone's mean and ask them while they're chewing if you can take that one plate that really isn't taking up a lot of space on their table back to the dishwashers only to awkwardly wait while they trying to finish their bite and provide some sort of response. Hated it.

 

It does make me think of putting something funny like "By the time you've read this, I will have read your wiki and debated if I'm going to approach your character."

 

I mean, I get this, but it's totally different in FFXIV, and if you take a breath an look at it, you'll see why. If you walk up to another person and RP something, they can just not respond. If they don't want to be bothered, or want to RP, they can just not type anything, or go.

 

/say Sorry I'm OOC))

 

I do way too much walk up RP, and sometimes people are either AFK/OOC or they just don't want to RP. If I don't get a response back for a few minutes, I'll send them a tell asking if they're IC.

 

Actually, here is a good way I use to judge interest in RP. If I walk up to a character that I think is IC, I look to see if they target me. I'll hover in front of them for a little bit before I start talking. Usually the ones who really want walk up RP will select my character to creep on me and read my tag. 95% of the time it means they're happy for the interaction.

Sometimes it's just a matter of reading the mood, admittedly.

Like what you mentioned, if someone approaches me and gets my attention, particularly in an area where there aren't too many characters for my poor PS3 to handle, I will usually look at the character in question for an extended period of time. If I am Monk, I am usually IC, so like Natalie said, it typically means my character is already ICly responding to you. I even have a lot of stock emotes macro'd, since my character does tend to be pretty inexpressive. I can't recall how many conversations have started with "Virara Wakuwa stares silently..." That's generally a pretty good sign.

 

There's no need to be embarrassed if you try to initiate rp and the other person is too busy. I try my best to not be in Monk whenever I'm doing progression based stuff in rp heavy areas, but sometimes that is unavoidable, particularly now when I have so much ground to cover to 60. On the flipside, I've approached quite a few players, but it is much harder to determine whether they're ready for an impromptu rp meeting outside of rest zones, like in the field, where they could be lvling or farming. It would be cool if there was an rp symbol, but at the same time, I often don't want to broadcast that too loudly, lol.

[LiadansWhisper]

I don't walk up to people because 99% of the time at the moment, I'm leveling or doing something entirely OOC.

 

What I wouldn't give for an IC/OOC in-game toggle...

[Michikyou]

If I can in any fashion start a scene for people to react to, I will. Especially on my pompous asshat lalafell; Mahana. She's a massive asshat. 100% asshat. 10/10 would punch her in the face with a rake.

 

However my other characters often need to ask for directions or the locals on where to find X or Y items or supplies in the wilderness.

 

But yeah, I often make some sort of comment like "Theres enough of them standing in a circle to cast a super spell.. I wonder if that is what they are doing. Standing, quietly around the tables."

[Kamome]

The best way to invite walk-up RP is to RP! People expect to initiate some kind of hook through forum, through status, though 'slow RP walk', but 9/10 times I have found wonderful RPer it has been because I say something silly to an NPC, make a joke about something in the environment, or just "act" like my character would: sleepy from too much walking, not liking the smell of something in the world, being rushed and late for some appointment or sale, that kind of thing.

 

There is so much you can do to 'liven' up the world. Just look how Square Enix makes their stupid town fodder so wonderful and funny. You can be that too! And if you are RPing by yourself, worst thing is there is no other RPer around. Best thing is you get to be immersed in your environment and you might meet a wonderful and spontaneous RPer who's just standing nearby.

 

All that ramble aside, it is helpful to indicate that you're RPer in your status. I think it's nice when people say walk-ups are fine because they're making you feel at ease but I think very rarely do people just 'walk up' to each other in real life to talk. I mean, unless you're getting picked up at a bar or chatted up on the bus by someone slightly creepy, maybe...

 

Shortly, create a situation doesn't have to be through PC/PC interaction. There's a whole world around us!!! Let's use it!!

[Syranelle Ironleaf]

Problem:  I don't know how to start/initiate contact with someone.

 

Solution:  Compliments!  If you're standing around in an area actually listen/read the conversations going on around you.  If you see someone being funny, entertaining, or otherwise engaging then send them an OOC tell and compliment them for excellent roleplay.  I've found it rare that people will ignore a compliment.  Once you've gotten their attention, then bring up the suggestion that you'd like to join in.  More often than not, you'll find people more receptive to welcoming you into whatever they're doing.  Or, if it's something you can't immediately join in on, they will usually be up for scheduling something later.  

 

   Just a suggestion on how to break the ice without feeling like the Interrupting Cow.

[Tietra]

For me personally, I love walk ups. I love getting them and I love doing them. But saying that I must also add that it takes me a bit to get up the courage to actually do the walk up. I plan my emote, I have to convince myself it is ok to do it, and I may not be ignored, or laughed at. (yes that is a fear don't ask I don't know) I spend a few minutes doing this - and more often then not the person that I was going to approach has already wandered off, or had another person approach (planned or not) then I'm left to slowly turn around and walk off (of course trying to convince myself it didn't look funny at all -- me creeping on some poor person targeting them then turning around and running off with my tail between my legs). So long story short - I suck at walk ups. Although I do try!

[Riken Avadur]

The best way to invite walk-up RP is to RP!

 

This may seem redundant/obvious, but it really should be highlighted. I'm not going to try and interact with every person who at one point or another decided to put a 'Walkups encouraged' tag in their Search info, and may be afk, not-interested, or being eaten by a kraken at that moment. But, if I see someone emoting with a good comprehension of the english language, seeming alone/non-committal, and then they have that tag? That's the cherry on top.

 

TL;DR 'Walkups welcome' is a supplement to inviting RP, not a replacement.

[Gone.]

Honestly I'd much prefer a small blurb about the character in question and/or a wiki link than the usual note about how walk-ups are supposedly encouraged. With so many roleplayers about, every little bit of incentive matters; I definitely don't have the time or willpower to poke everyone I see, just the ones that pique my interests in some way.

[Milloux]

Like some folks have already said, I think it's just an easy shorthand (considering the very limited space we have in our notes. ) way to denote someone is receptive to meeting new folks  to RP with? At least, that's always been my own interpretation, across MMOs.

 

As for actually strolling up to  strangers?  It's definitely on a per-character basis for me.  My introverted arcanist isn't likely to approach someone on the street without prompting or cause. (and in her case, likely needs to be approached - but I certainly want people to know that I want to RP, even if the character is reluctant.) My loud-mouthed and gregarious little courier or my  super curious and nosy (former) pirate? They have no qualms doing just that!

 

That said, I will generally toss a /tell to someone first to see if they'd mind if I strolled up. (and I've noticed the same. This really is a polite community!) I don't like intruding on folks that might be busy or otherwise occupied if I see no outward indicators that they're IC.

 

Actually, that's something that helps clue me in a good deal, in the absense of RP / IC flags.  Seeing a few idle emotes - someone flipping through a book, or scanning a crowd, grumbling at a merchant, or maybe even looking for something,  is going to pique my interest and make me far more likely to wander on up.

 

Even if you're super anxious about specifically approaching others (like me!) making it even a little easier for others to approach you can go a long way!