Greetings, Fellow Adventurers

[Silaqui]

Good morning (or afternoon, or evening) to you all!  I am Silaqui and I have just recently joined your ranks. 

 

Let me start off by saying that, like many others who have joined, I am new to RP in a video game.  I have always created a small back-story for my characters in games, but it's more for me than anything else.  I really enjoy creating characters.   I do have a small amount of experience with pen & paper RP, but the idea of RP in video games has always been a bit mystifying.  I have attempted to RP twice before (in other games) in the past, but both attempts didn't end well for me.  So, I'm hoping to give it another try!

 

As with any interest of mine, I've done a bit of reading (both here and on other sites) about the basics.  I do, however, still find myself with a few questions.  Perhaps someone could help me?

 

1)  Armor - How do adventurers, in general, react to the higher level armor obtained either from quests, storyline, or hunts?  As I began to consider my character's personality, and after reading many debates over whether it was generally acceptable to play as a Warrior of Light, I got to wondering how those end-game armors are supposed to be viewed.  Lots of players run around in the Soldiery and raid gear.  Are they treated like any other armor appropriate to the level, or are they viewed as something special?  What about dungeon gear in general?  I've always been fond of the Sastasha gear's appearance, but would it be odd for my character to wear something like that?

 

2)  Progression - I'm a bit confused as to how to explain my character's progression through levels.  I do have another character, on another server, that I use for story and endgame content, but I would also want to play my Balmung character (from 1.0) as either a curious bard or an inquisitive healer.  I'm unsure of how fast or slow it is generally considered "acceptable" to be gaining "levels" and learning new abilities.  Is there any progression at all?  I'm very interested in my adventurer having, well, adventures!    This is probably the part that mystifies me the most.

 

3) Details - I'm still a bit unsure of how detailed my character's history/story should be.  I openly admit I'm not well-versed on the lore of the game, despite having worked through all of the main story content on my other character.  I just don't seem to absorb the information well!  I'm much better about character details than world details, unfortunately.    (See character intro below and provide any thoughts/feedback you feel might be needed!)

 

4) Location, Location, Location - I've heard/read that Ul'dah is the place to be for open RP.  I've started in Gridania, unfortunately, and haven't unlocked the airship just yet.  Are there places, other than Ul'dah, where open RP might occur?  I would very much like to observe for a bit before jumping into my own RP, especially since I might refine my character based upon how other characters are being played.

 

And last, but not least, here is the character that I hope to be playing!

 

Name:  Elara Redbrook**

Age:  28

Home:  The Black Shroud

Profession:  Adventurer (not yet sure if she'll be "Bard" or "White Mage")

Family:  Elara's mother is a moderately skilled Goldsmith and her father is a moderately skilled Blacksmith - they do well enough to earn a comfortable living, but do not have any reputation to speak of.  Elara has one younger brother (name yet to be determined) who wishes to become a Goldsmith, like their mother.

Character History:  Despite her parents' insistence that she study to become an artisan, Elara knew from a young age that her interests did not lie with artisanry.  She was captivated by the adventurers who passed through town, spinning enchanting tales of bravery, danger, and treasures to any who would buy them a drink.  Elara left her home at the age of 19, without the blessing of her parents, to pursue the life of an adventurer.  The life was hard and much less glamorous than the adventurers had made it seem, but Elara managed to scrape by a meager living and enjoyed traveling the lands of Eorzea.

 

The Calamity changed all.  Where Elara once saw excitement and adventure, she now saw need and purpose.  Countless people had been slain or severely wounded, while still more were missing.  Lands that were once well defended now suffered from outward attacks and inner turmoil.  While the whispers of exciting adventures still call to Elara, she finds herself fuelled by a desire to hone her skills to better help her fellow Eorzeans.  

 

** - "Elara" is actually the feminine form of the Breton (Celtic) name "Alar", the patron saint of goldsmiths and blacksmiths.    As this doesn't tie in with Hydaelyn lore, it isn't mentioned in the character history, but I still thought it was quite an appropriate name for her and one her parents, given a real-world setting, might choose!  Also, "Redbrook" is the family name that was adopted due to the family's home -- there is a brook that runs through the family's land and, every autumn, the red leaves of the nearby trees fall and cover the surface of the water, making it a red brook.

 

Now that I've spent entirely too long typing, editing, losing my train of thought, then editing some more, I shall leave this to you and hope for the best!  It's a pleasure meeting you all and I hope to encounter some of your characters in the game!

[Desu Nee]

Good morning (or afternoon, or evening) to you all!  I am Silaqui and I have just recently joined your ranks. 

 

Let me start off by saying that, like many others who have joined, I am new to RP in a video game.  I have always created a small back-story for my characters in games, but it's more for me than anything else.  I really enjoy creating characters.   I do have a small amount of experience with pen & paper RP, but the idea of RP in video games has always been a bit mystifying.  I have attempted to RP twice before (in other games) in the past, but both attempts didn't end well for me.  So, I'm hoping to give it another try!

 

As with any interest of mine, I've done a bit of reading (both here and on other sites) about the basics.  I do, however, still find myself with a few questions.  Perhaps someone could help me?

 

1)  Armor - How do adventurers, in general, react to the higher level armor obtained either from quests, storyline, or hunts?  As I began to consider my character's personality, and after reading many debates over whether it was generally acceptable to play as a Warrior of Light, I got to wondering how those end-game armors are supposed to be viewed.  Lots of players run around in the Soldiery and raid gear.  Are they treated like any other armor appropriate to the level, or are they viewed as something special?  What about dungeon gear in general?  I've always been fond of the Sastasha gear's appearance, but would it be odd for my character to wear something like that?

 

2)  Progression - I'm a bit confused as to how to explain my character's progression through levels.  I do have another character, on another server, that I use for story and endgame content, but I would also want to play my Balmung character (from 1.0) as either a curious bard or an inquisitive healer.  I'm unsure of how fast or slow it is generally considered "acceptable" to be gaining "levels" and learning new abilities.  Is there any progression at all?  I'm very interested in my adventurer having, well, adventures!    This is probably the part that mystifies me the most.

 

3) Details - I'm still a bit unsure of how detailed my character's history/story should be.  I openly admit I'm not well-versed on the lore of the game, despite having worked through all of the main story content on my other character.  I just don't seem to absorb the information well!  I'm much better about character details than world details, unfortunately.    (See character intro below and provide any thoughts/feedback you feel might be needed!)

 

4) Location, Location, Location - I've heard/read that Ul'dah is the place to be for open RP.  I've started in Gridania, unfortunately, and haven't unlocked the airship just yet.  Are there places, other than Ul'dah, where open RP might occur?  I would very much like to observe for a bit before jumping into my own RP, especially since I might refine my character based upon how other characters are being played.

 

And last, but not least, here is the character that I hope to be playing!

 

Name:  Elara Redbrook**

Age:  28

Home:  The Black Shroud

Profession:  Adventurer (not yet sure if she'll be "Bard" or "White Mage")

Family:  Elara's mother is a moderately skilled Goldsmith and her father is a moderately skilled Blacksmith - they do well enough to earn a comfortable living, but do not have any reputation to speak of.  Elara has one younger brother (name yet to be determined) who wishes to become a Goldsmith, like their mother.

Character History:  Despite her parents' insistence that she study to become an artisan, Elara knew from a young age that her interests did not lie with artisanry.  She was captivated by the adventurers who passed through town, spinning enchanting tales of bravery, danger, and treasures to any who would buy them a drink.  Elara left her home at the age of 19, without the blessing of her parents, to pursue the life of an adventurer.  The life was hard and much less glamorous than the adventurers had made it seem, but Elara managed to scrape by a meager living and enjoyed traveling the lands of Eorzea.

 

The Calamity changed all.  Where Elara once saw excitement and adventure, she now saw need and purpose.  Countless people had been slain or severely wounded, while still more were missing.  Lands that were once well defended now suffered from outward attacks and inner turmoil.  While the whispers of exciting adventures still call to Elara, she finds herself fuelled by a desire to hone her skills to better help her fellow Eorzeans.  

 

** - "Elara" is actually the feminine form of the Breton (Celtic) name "Alar", the patron saint of goldsmiths and blacksmiths.    As this doesn't tie in with Hydaelyn lore, it isn't mentioned in the character history, but I still thought it was quite an appropriate name for her and one her parents, given a real-world setting, might choose!  Also, "Redbrook" is the family name that was adopted due to the family's home -- there is a brook that runs through the family's land and, every autumn, the red leaves of the nearby trees fall and cover the surface of the water, making it a red brook.

 

Now that I've spent entirely too long typing, editing, losing my train of thought, then editing some more, I shall leave this to you and hope for the best!  It's a pleasure meeting you all and I hope to encounter some of your characters in the game!

Aight, welcome to this batshit community, there is no escape now, remember you are here forever.

 

1- Honestly, I don't see armor being brought much, unless it's something meaningful to be big. Most people even have RP armor which can be low leveled, the look is more meaningful until said otherwise in a rp.

 

2- If you want, your character could be considered a PRO using level 5 armor. Besides level to wear stuff and access to areas, levels are meaningless to a rp.

 

3- As detailed as you want to be, remember, more stuff will be added as you rp!

 

4- Besides the Quicksand, not much. You should check for LS and FC focused on rp, as well as friends for that. It's not like Balmung is everyone rping, remember that. But overrall, it can happen, but the safe bet is always Quick Sand.

 

 

She sounds very cool, I hope I see her around!

[Warren Castille]

Hello there! I'm going to try and answer your questions before the rest of the welcome wagon does the same. Except a lot of us to reiterate over each other!

 

Armor: For the most part, armor is aesthetic. I'm yet to run into someone claiming to be walking around in armor found in the depths of the Coil of Bahamut, and some gear is also considered the "uniform" for some classes; Most of us playing paladins consider the AF set standard-issue and wear it when in character and on duty. There are folks who walk around in fancier stuff, and it's just that - fancy. If anything, it might show off that someone is skilled with an anvil, or has enough gil to befriend someone who is. Wearing the dungeon set? Shouldn't be a problem.

 

Progression: This is an interesting one. If you're looking for episodic RP in which you learn new skills, a la "Today Elara learned how to cast Stoneskin!" you could certainly do things that way, but I'm not sure how satisfying that would be once you've learned your class skills. A lot of us just ignore the mechanical side of leveling up and embrace that we have a pool of skills that we sometimes tap into and sometimes don't. If you know you want to wind up being a conjurer of some regard? You don't need to be 50 first, you can start on that right away.

 

Details: I'm a person-person myself. The world details have some specific instances but for the most part, your concept seems sound to me. My advice would be to keep things vague so that unless pressed for specific details you can just refer to general things: "Oh, I was raised in the Shroud/Thanalan/La Noscea in a small village." Once you learn the lore (or bookmark enough pages to fake it!) you can draw a little more attention to things.

 

Location: Being a filthy Ul'dahn I can't testify to the ability to fall into piles of RP elsewhere, but I can say that Ul'dah is great for it! >.>

[Sounsyy]

Yar, Warren's said just about everything.

 

But if you need lore help feel free to send me a PM on here or make a thread with your questions. ^^ But like Warren said, if you want to err on the side of caution until you're more comfortable with the lore, just keep things vague. Seems to work for most roleplayers.

 

For RP hubs, Ul'dah and the Quicksand are the most concentrated, but you can also find RP happening in Limsa and out in the world sporadically. Making connections and attending public events is really one of the best ways to get in on some RP if you find the Quicksand too daunting or just not your cup of tea.

[Unnamed Mercenary]

Hello! Welcome to the RPC!

 

Please continue to ask questions about ANYTHING! We like helping.

 

1)  Armor - How do adventurers, in general, react to the higher level armor obtained either from quests, storyline, or hunts?  As I began to consider my character's personality, and after reading many debates over whether it was generally acceptable to play as a Warrior of Light, I got to wondering how those end-game armors are supposed to be viewed.  Lots of players run around in the Soldiery and raid gear.  Are they treated like any other armor appropriate to the level, or are they viewed as something special?  What about dungeon gear in general?  I've always been fond of the Sastasha gear's appearance, but would it be odd for my character to wear something like that?

 

2)  Progression - I'm a bit confused as to how to explain my character's progression through levels.  I do have another character, on another server, that I use for story and endgame content, but I would also want to play my Balmung character (from 1.0) as either a curious bard or an inquisitive healer.  I'm unsure of how fast or slow it is generally considered "acceptable" to be gaining "levels" and learning new abilities.  Is there any progression at all?  I'm very interested in my adventurer having, well, adventures!    This is probably the part that mystifies me the most.

 

3) Details - I'm still a bit unsure of how detailed my character's history/story should be.  I openly admit I'm not well-versed on the lore of the game, despite having worked through all of the main story content on my other character.  I just don't seem to absorb the information well!  I'm much better about character details than world details, unfortunately.  Sad  (See character intro below and provide any thoughts/feedback you feel might be needed!)

 

4) Location, Location, Location - I've heard/read that Ul'dah is the place to be for open RP.  I've started in Gridania, unfortunately, and haven't unlocked the airship just yet.  Are there places, other than Ul'dah, where open RP might occur?  I would very much like to observe for a bit before jumping into my own RP, especially since I might refine my character based upon how other characters are being played.

 

1) Most RPers disregard the level of the armor. Why should a i100-armored player get more authority than someone in i10 gear? People will instead, base a character's abilities off their experience in RP. THe actual game mechanics are set aside most of the time. For combat RP, there are usually two ways it'll work: 

1. There is a pre-set winner/loser/tie/ending. RP is seen more as more about the journey, than the ending, and will take place in posts/emotes. I would advise this best for use with people you trust, as freeform combat can get really iffy when both sides are trying to win, or if they have different perspectives on what is ok. (Like, would injuries be ok? Broken limbs? Death?)
   
2. Roll-based combat. I personally like this more for spontaneous cobat, where this isn't a predetermined outcome. Players would use dicerolls, /random, or a diceroll site like rolz.org or so. Makes it easy to conform to a set battle system. (Say.... everyone rolls with D20s. Higher number wins. Same number means a fail. etc)
   

2) Pretty much the same answer as above. I've found most people put their in-game progression to the side when RPing. If you want to start as a master of your class? Do it! Want to start off as someone who is absolutely terrible? Do it too! That's your decision as an RPer. My advice would be to discuss OOCly (out of character) on limits/boundaries. People won't just accept that you're the best mage ever without some proof. But show them how you're a skilled Thaumaturge that's been properly educated and instructed? They'll be more likely. Same goes for all the other roles too. 

 

3) As detailed as you want it to be. I used to document EVERYTHING that happened to my characters with a writeup after the RP. As time went on, this because a very long and tedious thing to do. If you need lore help, ask us! Or as per common conventions, use the /sounsyysignal and Sounsyy will come flying in with her lore books. She's got a lot of resources and quotes from the game (both 1.0 and 2.0) to help out on lore stuff.

 

4) While Ul'dah is perhaps the most known for it's open-world RP, it's not the only place it occurs. In Gridania, I've foud some RP goign on in the Carline Canopy (Adventurer's Guild) for some tavern RP. There's also some that happens out in the actual fields, because it's a forest. And it's pretty. Don't hesitate to use a /shout or something if looking for like-minded individuals looking for RP. THe RPC is also a great resource for that too. If you're looking to get started a little, but are not sure how or where, the forums are also great for this. We've got an in-character board where you could start a small introductory scene or some journal entries. It's also got a wealth of posts from other people too!

 

--

 

Phew! Lots of text.

 

As said above, feel free to ask any questions! If there's something you're wondering about, or are not sure of, people will try to help out.

[Silaqui]

Progression: This is an interesting one. If you're looking for episodic RP in which you learn new skills, a la "Today Elara learned how to cast Stoneskin!" you could certainly do things that way, but I'm not sure how satisfying that would be once you've learned your class skills. A lot of us just ignore the mechanical side of leveling up and embrace that we have a pool of skills that we sometimes tap into and sometimes don't. If you know you want to wind up being a conjurer of some regard? You don't need to be 50 first, you can start on that right away.

 

 

Ah, thank you so much!  I was truly stuck at this, trying to figure out how it would tie into the whole experience, and I'm so glad to hear that it's mostly ignored.  I still might like to dabble in a more game-progression type RP at some point, but I'll be keeping it super simple as I get started.

[Dasair]

Hello and welcome!

 

Since these other things have been covered, I'm mostly only going to post on the ones I have differing opinions on.

 

Progression: This can go any way you'd like it to go. Depending on how much you self-rp, (as in, just run around the world ICly, and if someone chances upon you, so be it), handwave (as in, just say 'things happened' without any actual RP'd-through backing for it), or RP with others, this may go differently for different people. I've started my character at a sort of odd 'relatively skilled in some places, super novice in others' spot, and he hasn't progressed a TON from there since I made him. However, the main reason for that is that he might get IC teachers! And since I love that kind of student / mentor RP, I've been holding off, save for little practice things and his own odd experiments insofar as how he's progressed skill-wise.

 

That small explanation is to say that, ultimately, it's up to you. There is no accepted norm, and levels aren't necessarily taken ICly here unless you, specifically, want them to be for your character. :>

 

Location: I will premise with I never exceedingly rarely will RP in Ul'dah. My character ICly dislikes most of the 'hot' gathering places, like taverns and big cities; the Quicksand probably makes my duskwight nerd the most uncomfortable ever second to the city of Gridania (The Shroud is fine though, as is Thanalan). So he's basically never in those crowded places or cities unless he absolutely has to be.

 

However, I do get RP! It's much less of the 'walk up' sort of nature though. Instead, I've spoken to a number of people (between 'looking for contacts' or new people on welcome threads), jumped on event opportunities, and so forth to get a bunch of people on my 'list' for potential RP. Then, I'll either PM them to see if they'd like to meet sometime, or poke them in-game, and see if their character might be around somewhere where mine could meet up with them. It was a little work initially getting in contact with them all, and some attempts never worked out, or I wouldn't ever get anything back from them. But that said, a lot did work out too, and I've had a decent amount of RP since I started, so it IS perfectly possible to never set foot in the Quicksand, and still RP if that's what your character would do. :>

 

Taverns in general are probably the best place to go and look, and that can be in any city (Gridania, Limsa, Ul'dah), but I've definitely seen RP happening 'out in the field' too, where my character is more likely to be. I'll often meet people in weird places outside of cities, being somewhere in the world, near ruins, around odd Aetherical formations / crystals, etc. Which would be good for the adventures you'd mentioned wanting. :> However, that takes a little bit more coordination most of the time, but I personally find it's worth it.

[Silaqui]

Location:  I will premise with I never exceedingly rarely will RP in Ul'dah.  My character ICly dislikes most of the 'hot' gathering places, like taverns and big cities; the Quicksand probably makes my duskwight nerd the most uncomfortable ever second to the city of Gridania (The Shroud is fine though, as is Thanalan).  So he's basically never in those crowded places or cities unless he absolutely has to be.

 

However, I do get RP!  It's much less of the 'walk up' sort of nature though.  Instead, I've spoken to a number of people (between 'looking for contacts' or new people on welcome threads), jumped on event opportunities, and so forth to get a bunch of people on my 'list' for potential RP.  Then, I'll either PM them to see if they'd like to meet sometime, or poke them in-game, and see if their character might be around somewhere where mine could meet up with them.  It was a little work initially getting in contact with them all, and some attempts never worked out, or I wouldn't ever get anything back from them.  But that said, a lot did work out too, and I've had a decent amount of RP since I started, so it IS perfectly possible to never set foot in the Quicksand, and still RP if that's what your character would do.  :>

 

Taverns in general are probably the best place to go and look, and that can be in any city (Gridania, Limsa, Ul'dah), but I've definitely seen RP happening 'out in the field' too, where my character is more likely to be.  I'll often meet people in weird places outside of cities, being somewhere in the world, near ruins, around odd Aetherical formations / crystals, etc.  Which would be good for the adventures you'd mentioned wanting.  :>  However, that takes a little bit more coordination most of the time, but I personally find it's worth it.

 

Another answer I'm very glad to see!  While Elara does enjoy her adventures, she's from a small town and the excitement/crowds of the larger cities can be a bit dizzying for her!  I certainly don't think I'll have her avoid them entirely, but she will probably stick to the less-crowded areas more often than the social hubs.  Though, initially, I might have her visit a few times to see what's what in Ul'dah.

 

First, however, I need to get all of that OOC stuff out of the way - like opening up the airship pass!

[Gegenji]

Progression: This is an interesting one. If you're looking for episodic RP in which you learn new skills, a la "Today Elara learned how to cast Stoneskin!" you could certainly do things that way, but I'm not sure how satisfying that would be once you've learned your class skills. A lot of us just ignore the mechanical side of leveling up and embrace that we have a pool of skills that we sometimes tap into and sometimes don't. If you know you want to wind up being a conjurer of some regard? You don't need to be 50 first, you can start on that right away.

 

 

Ah, thank you so much!  I was truly stuck at this, trying to figure out how it would tie into the whole experience, and I'm so glad to hear that it's mostly ignored.  I still might like to dabble in a more game-progression type RP at some point, but I'll be keeping it super simple as I get started.

 

As Dasair said, there's a lot of roleplay potential in having your character try to learn a trade or role. I've been having loads of fun with it with my little Lalafell Chachan. He came as a bright-eyed youth wanting to be a hero, and now he's in training to become a Paladin.

 

Some of it is handwaved as taking place in the background, but I've gotten to do both training sessions and deep philosophical conversations with his mentors. Even the build up to him initially starting his training was neat - that timid moment when you approach someone and ask "Will you teach me?"

 

It's also a wonderful way to build an IC relationship with another player.

[Ligardian Dreamer]

Hello and welcome! Hoping that your tries will not be in vain! X3

 

Just to put in my own two-cent regardless:

 

1) I haven't seen too much focus on armor, rp, so it really is just for aesthetic reasons... Especially considering what you can do with the armor when you get to level 50.

 

2) If you wanna level yourself based on the progression of your character, you can. Otherwise, you don't have to. As some of the others have said, level, and end game armor and such for that matter, don't have a real affect to rping... So, in other words, you don't have to limit yourself by your own progression... It's your choice how you wanna go by it =3

 

3) You seem kinda the same as me X3 I don't consider myself the most detailed in generally... But I do feel that I am decent when it comes to the character itself rather than the story portion of it all.... But knowing basic lore at least helps you out a bit. Otherwise, I found that it doesn't affect my being able to rp and having people to rp with even though I'm not so well-versed with the lore. So you can pick up your lore on the go if anything! ^^ Especially if you wanna be really detailed so by all means~

 

4) Yeah it feel and seems to me that these open rps seem more active particularly in the tavern of Ul'dath, the Quicksand.... Inn-like places seem to be the place to be in all the city-states I think... But anyway, by all means, just work your toon up until it can travel around. From there, it'll be easier for you to go to each places and feel around the open rps and you'll see for yourself which place seems ideal for open rps...

 

Good luck with everything! and, "May the path in the light of the crystal" be filled with many memories and experiences!

[Silaqui]

Thank you, everyone, for your warm welcomes and helpful answers!    And to those who have already sent me a /tell in-game to welcome me, I hope I haven't made any mistakes!  I need to go back through and brush up on my IC/OOC knowledge so I know how to mark text appropriately.

 

I'll continue to work on my character as I play through the game to get my airship access, which shouldn't be too long since I hit level 12 last night.  Unfortunately, I've gone and caught a cold, so Elara's "debut" onto the RP scene will be delayed a day or two while I devour chicken soup and empty a box of tissues.

 

Again, thank you for the welcoming me into the community and I hope Elara will meet some wonderful characters on her journey through Eorzea. 

[Ligardian Dreamer]

Thank you, everyone, for your warm welcomes and helpful answers!    And to those who have already sent me a /tell in-game to welcome me, I hope I haven't made any mistakes!  I need to go back through and brush up on my IC/OOC knowledge so I know how to mark text appropriately.

 

I'll continue to work on my character as I play through the game to get my airship access, which shouldn't be too long since I hit level 12 last night.  Unfortunately, I've gone and caught a cold, so Elara's "debut" onto the RP scene will be delayed a day or two while I devour chicken soup and empty a box of tissues.

 

Again, thank you for the welcoming me into the community and I hope Elara will meet some wonderful characters on her journey through Eorzea. 

 

Hang in there and rest well! >w

[Faye]

I think everyone has already answered you questions well enough, so instead of parroting what you've already read, I'm just going to say hello, welcome to Balmung and the RPC! I'm glad to chat or role-play anytime; feel free to say hello sometime in-game!