Lerenthial-Emerald Dream posted fantastic advice on the Emerald Dream battle.net forums to start new RPers off. He gave me permission to copy and paste it here. Here is the link to the post, in case my cuts are confusing in any way (http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/16859936013):
I really hate this holiday, so I thought I'd distract myself by doing something I've wanted to for a while: making an RP guide! We have a wonderful RP-PvP guide here (http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/1074267998), but I've always found it to be a bit lacking in the nitty gritty of RP itself. We also have a lot of new transfers, many of whom have probably never RP'd before! This guide is for them, as well as a refresher for those of us who have been RPing for a while. I've never made a guide before, so this may come out a bit ugly, but hopefully it'll still be useful!
First things first, what is RP?
Roleplaying is basically getting into someone else's mindset and acting how they would. It's used in a variety of different ways (even in crime solving!), but its most common use is create group stories. Think of it like writing mini books with other people, only you don't always know what's going to happen!
What types of RP are there?
The main types of RP in World of Warcraft are tabletop RP, reactionary RP, and walk-up RP.
Tabletop RP is usually styled after, well, tabletops, and each DM has a different way of doing things. Some will have character stat sheets you need to fill out, most will only incorporate the rolling the dice portion (usually used with the /roll function, so everyone can see what you get). This type of RP is usually used for big events, like battles against an NPC enemy, and not for general day to day roleplay. A similar type of RP can be used for duels, if the player is underleveled, undergeared, or does not know their class sufficiently well. Players may also want to use this style of dueling to draw out the fight or make it more realistic, or to combat an unfair advantage another class has. However, there are many RPers who godmod during these fights to win unfairly. Most players on RP-PvP servers, such as ED, prefer not to use this style of dueling. Generally, a duel will require an actual, in-game duel using class mechanics.
Most RP in WoW is reactionary RP. This is when you have no idea what's going to happen, and you're forced to just react as your character would. This can be good in a lot of ways, as it promotes authenticity, but it can also be abused. Things such as kidnappings, injuries, or anything else that can significantly affect a character should be talked about at least a little beforehand, just to make sure your partner is comfortable with what you plan to do and to avoid godmodding. Always ask if it's okay to do something to someone's character or give them a way out, don't force them into a corner. If you have an idea for a character plotline and want to involve other people, bounce ideas around! There's nothing wrong with having a general idea of where you want to go, just as there's nothing wrong with just winging it and doing purely reactionary RP. (However, most tabletop RP is, by its nature, purely reactionary. Things happen based on rolls, so if you're choosing to participate in a tabletop event, expect anything to happen.)
Finally, we come to walk-up RP. This is when your character just walks up to someone and starts talking or doing something. A lot of people have notes in their tooltips saying they're fine with walk-up RP. This just means they're always open for RP with anyone, so gather up your courage and go say hi! It can be really intimidating, but it's also how most RPers get their start.
(Note: You will also see people talking about ERP. This is erotic roleplay, and it's against ToS to do so publicly. If you really want to ERP, I suggest taking it to whispers or, even better, Skype. That way you're not potentially eating a ban.)
Godmodding
Okay, I know I've talked about godmodding a few times already, but it's really important you know exactly what it is and why it's bad. Godmodding is, at its most basic, taking control of someone else's character. In RP battles, this usually shows itself as forcing a character to take a hit ("I punch him hard in his shoulder" vs "I aim a punch at his shoulder"). You've written your partner into a corner, and there's nothing they can do to avoid it without undoing what you just wrote. It's annoying and can be stressful if it happens repeatedly, and usually means someone won't want to RP with you again. This is because, by godmodding, you're making the RP all about you and not about the experience. Be respectful to your partners!
If you're using an RP addon, such as TRP3 or MRP (which I highly suggest you do!), other people who also use the addon will have tooltops. These usually work with each other, so you only need one addon to be able to see everyone's character sheets. However, you may find that people godmod in those, as well. It's much more subtle, but limits how you can react to the character. These include descriptors like "the prettiest woman you've ever seen", "your eyes follow their body", "the first thing you notice is...", etc. While not as "bad" as other godmodding, this still forces your character to react in a specific way. Remember, no one is universally attractive! Descriptors like "beautiful" and "handsome" don't tell anyone much about your character.
Additionally, remember that you know nothing about a character when you're first meeting them. Don't use OOC information IC!
(Note: When someone "godmodes", it's a different but related issue. This is when someone is much more powerful than they should be, making fights difficult or impossible.)
How do I get started?
At this point in time, a lot of RP on ED is guild-based. To really enjoy yourself, you're going to need a guild! But be wary, not all guilds are created equal. If you want to RP, I suggest not joining any guild that auto-invites, and guild that has a non-lore compliant name (ie: Hello Kitty's Magical Friends, etc), and most player-capped PvP guilds. While all these guilds have their own unique benefits, most of them will not help you RP or carry a stigma with them that will make other people not want to RP with you. When you're just starting out, alienating potential RP partners is the last thing you want to do. You can find a list of RP guilds on the server stickied here (http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/1074098449), so go take a look!
You'll want to download those addons I mentioned earlier, as they'll help let people know you're interested in RP. If you don't, people will just assume you're not an RPer, and many guilds require the use of them. It may seem daunting, but don't worry! They're much more simple to use than they look, and there's always people to ask for help. Join the RP channel ( /join RP ) if you need help in-game, because there's always someone online! The RP channel is not always IC (in-character), though many people use it as such. To avoid upsetting anyone, just denote your text as OOC (out of character) by using double parenthesis (( like this )) around it.
What about my character?
This is probably the most daunting task when first starting out, and it's also where the largest number of people go wrong. The most important thing to do is research! It may sound boring, but there are lots of resources out there to help you with it, as well as plenty of people to ask both on the forums and in the RP channel. If you don't follow lore (the basic setting and pre-laid rules of the world), most people aren't going to want to RP with you. If you don't know a lot about the race you want to play as, your character will be less realistic. Luckily, WoW lore is pretty interesting, and there are plenty of places you can go to find out more about each race. Just google the race you want + lore, and you should be good to go!
Take your time with creating your character, and remember to distance them from yourself. You are not your character. Your character is not you. Other people are not their characters, and may not believe in the same things their characters do or be even remotely similar in personality. That distance is very, very important in fostering good OOC relationships.
Can I play _____ race?
Playing a race that's not a PC race (ie: trolls, blood elves, humans, gnomes, etc) can be daunting and downright dangerous. There are some races you just plain can't play, some you shouldn't, and some you should only play if you really know what you're doing. I don't suggest and of them for new players, because there's so much that can go wrong.
Races it makes no sense to play:
Naga
Sanlayan
Fel bloods
Demons
Satyrs
Harpies
Races you shouldn't play:
High Elves in Horde territory (ie using a blood elf model)
Dragons where everyone knows they're dragons
Races you should only play with a lot of experience:
High Elves in Alliance territory
Highborne
Disguised Dragons
Highborne make the list purely because pre-Cata you couldn't play them, as almost all of them had either been turned into Naga and the rest were the pre-cursors to the High Elves. We now know that quite a few were hidden away, but it's a great deal more research than just a regular Night Elf.
Do you have some resources for me to get started?
I sure do! I have general RP resources out my butt, and more besides!
Another guide on starting to RP:
rpedia.tumblr.com/post/45705053522WoWwiki's ancient RP-PvP guide:
www.wowwiki.com/Starting_out_in_role_playingAn entire blog where people give advice on RP:
frickyeahroleplayadvice.tumblr.com/ (note: not actually frickyeah. Substitute the obvious curse word, and you'll have your reference)
A WrA RP guide:
us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/2721384763Another WrA RP guide:
us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/2973018417A resource thread from MG:
us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/1074098138A comprehensive WoW RP guide:
www.engadget.com/2013/02/23/the-complete-guide-to-roleplay-in-wow/There are many, many other resources out there, especially for specific races! Don't be afraid to start a thread on the forums asking for a bit of help or whisper someone in-game that you know RPs. Most of us are more than willing to lend a helping hand to those just starting out!
Finally, have fun! RP is all about fun, and it's all about making friends with whom you can create something special. If you have more questions, feel free to ask them here in this thread; I'll do my best to answer anything I can, and there are plenty of other people who have answers to the things I don't know about.
Have a nice day, and good luck getting started with your RP!
[Continued]...I'll likely add it in later, the main issue is explaining the concept of a Mary Sue within RP. One of the defining traits of the Mary Sue is how the narrative treats them, how everyone falls in love with them no matter their personality, etc. RP characters can have Sue-ish traits, but it's rather difficult to create a true Sue character unless you're either godmodding, godmoding, or people are just going along with it.
Obviously being related/married to a lore character is Sue-ish, as is having your character have some extra special background (demon-hunter, half demon, raised by dragons, something amazing and unique was done to them, there's a prophecy, etc) or quality (uses a kind of magic no one else can, etc), but characters can have Sue-ish qualities without being a Sue. But then we have common qualities like being clumsy (which my series of constant bruises would testify that I am, as well as many other people out there) that are "signifiers" of a Sue because it's not a true flaw to balance how the narrative treats them.
If a Sue character uses a special type of succubus magic because he's half demon and it makes him attractive to absolutely everyone all the time, we would likely call him a Sue. But what if this same presumed Sue struggles with serious social anxiety and hates that he has to feed off people's feelings about him to stay healthy? What if he is working with mages and warlocks to somehow "remove" his demon half, and has gone from a Sue to a truly developed character? What if he encourages OOCly that characters that would have a reason to be immune to his spell (spellbreakers, warlocks, some magisters, whatever) to do so and create varied RP? Is he still a Sue, or does he just have Sue-ish traits?
The internet is quick to come down on perceived Mary Sues. Even Lera has been accused of it at least twice. But the other thing to remember is that the overwhelming majority of Mary Sue RPers are teenage girls. They'll grow out of it.
That's a lot of words for what amounts to a big verbal shrug. But I'd rather not pour burning oil on all Sue characters, because they do have potential. And, once they've been created, it's very unlikely the creator is going to want to give them up; they've probably put a lot of work into them and gotten to RP with people who don't hold to my "elite standard" and had a lot of fun. However, they're probably going to be willing to take the character and develop them more if you're nice about it. Telling them their character sucks and they need to start over isn't going to make them like or listen to you. But telling them you want to help them improve their character and make them even more fun to play? That's more likely to work.
We are never going to be completely free of Sue characters. And that's okay! We're all perfectly capable of ignoring them or, if they're new RPers, starting a new character to ease them in a more.... socially acceptable, I suppose, direction. And there is no one among us who has never created a Sue. When I was a teenage girl, I had more than my fair share. One of them was literally a self-insert character who got magically transported into a world where she was a goddess. Trust me, their writing and their character creation will improve. New RPers are going to "mess up", and they're going to do things that we don't like, but that's because they're new and they need to do so to learn.
My advice is to be patient. Remember your own roots, lend a kind and helping hand. Even now, many of us are accused of having Sue characters, even when they're not. Take a deep breath, be patient, and let them grow.
[Continued]...Oh, for the newer RPers reading this, here's an example of good descriptions you can add with addons! Lera has crack-like scars on her hands and lower arms, which glow with the Light. Her hair is also curly, and her body type differs from the character model. These are all big parts of her character that I otherwise wouldn't be able to show! You can RP without them, just please understand the drawbacks and advantages of each.
[Continued]...Posted by...((I would've just left out the ERP section, personally.))
Leranthial: I originally didn't plan to put it in, but then I realized that some new RPers might be pulled into something like that without realizing that it can get you banned. It's also something that gets jokingly talked about on the forums and in-game a lot, so I thought it should be included. Additionally, RP in WoW is known for Goldshire and its..... less savory individuals. I figured it would end up getting asked eventually, so I might as well put it in.
[Continued]...On Mary Sues, though, it's very important to remember that it is all about how the creator plays them and how the narrative treats them. For example, take Anders from DA2. He is my child and I love him, but merging with a creature from the Fade is probably.... One of the most Sue-ish traits I can think of. Take my other child, Fenris. He can literally phase through solid objects, something no one else in the entire world can do. But the narrative treats them as fully rounded characters, with meaningful flaws. Not everyone likes them (and, in another vein, not everyone likes your self-insert Hawke, which keeps YOU from being a Sue).
[Continued] Posted by Kayleina: A quick note about how it's generally a good thing to distance your character from major lore figures would prob be a good thing to add...This post brought to you by seeing a character that was trained by Muradin.
Posted by Hiten: I totally agree with the lore figure comments but I think you can give some way. Saying ur character was a friend of a friend or somehow lightly related is okay. Now best buddies no haha. Some group oriented things are a little risky too like my paladin guild here. (Ironblood here.)
