Duty + RP

[Braise]

I've held a couple events in my FC so far. Both times, we RP'd in a Duty/Instance/Dungeon, and we successfully RPed and downed the final boss within the 90 minute time limit.

The gist of how it was done: RP at the entrance, before entering (and starting the timer), burn through the trash to each boss (skip cutscenes and coffers), RP a little, kill boss, RP a little more, continue.

Although the 90 minute timer disappears after the final boss is downed, there's a hidden timer (I'm guessing about 7-10 minutes) for the party to leave.

 

I'm wondering if anyone has any thoughts, comments, experience(s), etc. about RPing in a Duty?

[Brynhilde]

I've RP'd duties before in exactly the way you described. They were great fun!

 

It's almost refreshing in the way the timer forces you to be more economical in your dialogue and emotes.

[Lost River]

I've honestly never RP'd the section mainly due to it is areas that are repeatable without a repeating type monster (i.e. Titan and such; they can be respawned/resummoned) while some of the end bosses of dungeons cannot.

 

 

I tend to be "game mode" in dungeon. Buuut, if we come up with our own story as to why we're there and RP outside of it, I'm fine. But, its more of the whole time limit on top of it. And rarely I have full groups to RP with, most are randoms.

[Kage]

This is the type of thing I would really love to try out. I want to do Light and Full party instances/raids RP'd out and mostly in character (though it's probably easier that I can RP both as my main BLM and the more RP-relevant but lower leveled PLD).

[Nebbs]

Some random tips..

You can get others to join the party to "get in" and they can leave. So if you fancy 2 manning stuff this works.

 

Prepare a different description for the dungeon explaining changes in the environment and creatures there. This helps set a different view of the dungeon throughout and does not hinder play.

 

90min is still quite a while if you know the dungeon, so do the business on encounters and save RP chat for in between. Remember you are here to RP so who cares if you complete or not?

 

Make the context of the dungeon (the reason why you are there) something different than the game does.

[Dogberry]

I've always wanted to do this, but haven't been able to get a group together to do it.

[Ildur]

Sadly, the timer pretty much takes long roleplaying sessions out of the equation. Roleplaying will always be secondary when you have a time limit to complete content instead of doing it at your own pace and stop at whatever places you want to stop for a scene.

[FreelanceWizard]

I adore IC dungeon runs, and we do them at least once a week in my FC (sometimes with friends from XI:7). The timer is an issue, as Ildur points out, so our usual strategy is to hold the RP to some introductory RP to set the scene outside the dungeon or in a channel, a little bit of chatter at the beginning, witty repartee or short commentary in the midst of the trash, and some brief conversations before and after bosses. The bulk of the RP, then, is before and after the dungeon itself. That said, we've found that, even with people at level and new to the dungeon, the time pressure is not especially brutal.

 

In terms of the setup, we have quite a few we use. One approach is to make the dungeon generic; for instance, it's not Halatali, it's some ruins under Thanalan. Another is to come up with a reasonable explanation for why the dungeon keeps getting repopulated (the aethereal disturbances make it attractive for cultists; limited resources ensure breeding monsters continually repopulate; we're cleaning out a different part of a larger complex; the constant Dravanian onslaught results in the fortress being retaken; etc.). How we get people together is usually a function of "hey, I heard about this place I want to investigate" or "my Grand Company wants someone to look into this area." Sometimes it's tied to a larger plot, but not often.

 

EDIT: My advice for RPing while fighting through trash (or in boss fights) is to keep the comments short and not expect (or intend to create) a conversation. It makes sense IC, since your character is in the middle of battle and in a fairly dangerous situation, even if you don't create a justification IC for the timer. Random battle quips are how it came out, for instance, that L'yhta has a curious predilection for "gobbiespeak".