Roleplay
 

I am curious about something. When in multiplayer games, how many of you incorporate some level of roleplay into your games?

Myself, I always try to roleplay my realm and pretender as it adds a level of fun in it for me. If I send Messages out, I put it in the form of a letter instead of something like an SMS message.

I can understand completely if some people might find this kind of play unnecessary, burdensome, annoying, irritating... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif

Myself, I think its great. Anything that envelops you more into the game world and gets a bit more into it I'm all for.

I've never played in an MP game though, so I don't know how it goes. How are the roleplay standards, and to what degree is the game "just played"?

Re: Roleplay
 

You get all sorts of people in mp games. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif Usually, however, there is quite some thematic feeling to the ingame Messages, at least in the few mp-games I am in. You certainly won't be looked down upon when formulating a message in roleplaying terms.

Re: Roleplay
 

I would like to but somehow it just never comes off.

I do enjoy when someone writes up a After Action Report (AAR) in a roleplaying style. I would like to see someone do a webbed Version of an AAR which is either split screen or has the option to flip back and forth between a roleplaying story Version, and a specific games steps Version. I think this game cries out for that type of writeup

Re: Roleplay
 

I try and stay "in character" in my Messages. It just suits the general feel of the game.

Re: Roleplay
 

I agree with you completely. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Roleplay
 

It is difficult to roleplay Messages in the game because of the horrid interface:
1. You cannot cut and paste.
2. You cannot correct mistakes without erasing back to the error.
3. You have a hard line limit on message size.
4. You cannot copy a message to more than one player unless you send to all.
5. Probably some other things I have forgotten.

I have done a bit of roleplaying in some of my Messages, but it is just too darn difficult to portray anything decent under the above gross restrictions. I think most people deafult to the bare minimum required to get the message across. Like numbers for provinces instead of names.

I will admit that I do like the role playing that Pasha Dawg is doing in one of our games, but he is doing it in the forum. Not in the game, for it is just too painful.

Re: Roleplay
 

It varies. Sometimes I make a concerted effort to stay in character, especially if some of the other players are doing the same. But some nations / pretenders are much easier for me to put myself in the role of, and since I rarely stick to the same nations .... (with about 10 MP games going, I think I only have one duplication of nation/theme.)

And then, when I'm exhausted but the turn is almost due - almost impossible to do Messages in character, especially with the paltry message editting facility. If you could at least cut and paste from a proper text editor, I'd send Illwinter some fresh roasted New Mexico green chiles. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Re: Roleplay
 

I never role-play. My pretender forbids it.

- Kel

Re: Roleplay
 

Me too - and I'm not even playing in that game!

I think the answer to the bad message interface is to do an end around, as Pasha Dawg is doing in the MP game thread.

Re: Roleplay
 

I love the role playing bit, and it is fun to do it “in game” and on the forum. (I don’t get to refer to another person’s opinion as “fecal blather” very often in my real job.) The forum works as a sort of public newspaper that allows a player to do an AAR as it happens. Which is fun. I almost pee’d myself when Panther had a spy watch one of my battles against Boron and offered a more “objective” news report than my official Machaka news station. [img]/threads/images/Graemlins/mad.gif[/img] [img]/threads/images/Graemlins/mad.gif[/img] [img]/threads/images/Graemlins/mad.gif[/img] http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

The in game message system is pretty bad for the reasons stated by other players. However, in the MP game that caused the Last Norfleet brouhaha, the allied players were exchanging Messages with regular email, and that worked great.

Re: Roleplay
 

In a game I'm in now the Rlyeh player sent me a note on about turn 4 telling me to bow down and I could have my brain eaten Last.

After I stopped laughing I told him sure, I want to be eaten Last.

Then he attacked a neighbor telling him something like "you have insulted Rlyeh for the Last time!"...I think after no exchange of Messages. He's roleplaying a delusional Cthulhu - how appropriate. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

John

Re: Roleplay
 

FUNNY!! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Re: Roleplay
 

That's great. I love that kind of stuff. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Roleplay
 

I try to roleplay, but I usually do it only as long as I am using the awkward in-game messaging. As soon as I am switching to eMail, I tend to speak directly... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif

I guess its due to the fact that I exit the game to enter eMail...

Re: Roleplay
 

I had protracted negotiations with C'tis too in this game over one measely province where in order to achieve anything constructive without breaking character I had to be my own secretary (well several as a few of them got eaten during the course of the negotiations).

The problem with this is that I have only a limited amount of energy for a role & doing the same over is not as much fun (my other R'lyeh is characterless).

If only my game play had received so much attention ...

Pickles

Re: Roleplay
 

I have roleplayed in my both games, but I had to revert to normal speech a few times. I did send them with the roleplayed message and shortly explained things that would have been hard to explain in-character.

Re: Roleplay
 

Myself, I find people who send me game Messages in roleplaying-speak a bit scary. I have absolutely no interest in pretending I am an Vampire. I don't play Dom2 to "immerse" myself in a fantasy world - I play because it is a challenging strategy game.

Re: Roleplay
 

Each their own playing style.

Dominions 2 isnt the easiest game to roleplay in for the reasons stated above, but in my opinion it makes the game more fun to play rather than treating it a series of mathmatical equations.

Re: Roleplay
 

Mission accomplished. Lesser being quakes in fear. Nervousness good for gaining diplomatic advantage.

No really, what's that? You don't want to pretend you are a Vampire? Not even secretly, deep inside? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif More goth comics for you, sir.

But seriously, some of the enjoyment playing Dominions is the fact that my alter ego is a god commanding his faithful in a quest for world domination, bringing the faith with sword and torch in stylish good ole Torquemada fashion. For me, this somehow never gets really old. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif So getting carried away a bit with Messages in MP is something I really like receiving and dishing out. It's all part of the atmosphere of the game, to me.

Re: Roleplay
 

While I do enjoy RPing occasional Messages, more often than not its just hard...
And not only for the already mentioned (and heavily crippeling) restraints, sometimes it can also be RP restraints.
Imagine playing Jotunheim and being offered an alliance from Vanheim.
Now, according to the descriptions, both nations hate eachother very much, but that alliance with Vanheim is probably going to lead you into victory (or glorious second place), what are you going to do?
Anyway, blah blah blah...

Re: Roleplay
 

There could be explanations to justify an alliance betwwen Jotunheim and Vanheim, but that would likely be an uneasy alliance at best (the same could be said of most alliances however; after all, your ally is led by a future rival for godhood).

I tend to roleplay, but how much mostly depends on the reactions and of the nation/Empire I am playing. I would have a hard time getting interested in Vanheim or Jotunheim, but Man or T'ien Ch'i would strike my fancy. So beware of the lengthy missives of the Imperial bureaucrats!