Roleplaying

Introduction

For those hearing the term RP for the first time – RP stands for RolePlaying – that is, playing a role. It means playing the role of the character you control in the game. What does that mean? It means you should act as if you *are* that character, living in a fantasy world. This includes using a name, behavior, and speech that fits within that fantasy world. Naturally, this means no character should use expressions like lol, rofl, brb, yeah, ok, what level are you, how much skill do you have... etc. Simply put, it's forbidden to speak or behave in a way that your character logically couldn’t. This also includes realistic things like not being able to use an item through a wall, ceiling, floor, or any obstacle that would realistically block it in either the real or fantasy world. These are only possible due to system flaws, and exploiting such flaws is bug abuse = jail.

Newcomers who don't know what jail means should know that jail = prison, where your character is thrown to serve time for breaking the rules. Our jail is truly original and unique. You can't macro your way out of it, and a 50+ sentence is a real pain. So my advice: don't try to get in there.

That aside, I must admit with some pleasure that by observing the local game world, I see that most players are genuinely trying to use roleplaying speech at least, which I appreciate. However, certain issues still occur repeatedly. I want to help you players by pointing these out. It means that when we (those responsible for the RP aspect of the shard) see them, our hair stands on end. And it can end badly.

So first, some common issues related to conversations:

1. Example #1:

   Two characters stand in front of a dungeon, one dressed in full plate armor and the other holding a magic book.

   • X: How old are you?
   • Y: 12, and you?
   • X: 5

   What’s wrong?? Imagine a 12-year-old and a 5-year-old going into a dungeon fully armored. So... not like this.

   Hint – we have ranks that are perfect for such dialogue. So from now on, it should go something like this:

   NPC: You are inexperienced. This task is for a novice who has passed the first novice trial.

   Trial = level. You’re a novice from level 10. 10+1 = 11. The quest is meant for characters from level 11 and up.

   In-game dialogue example:
   1. What level are you? 12 = both go to jail
   2. What level are you? silent = first one jailed, second one praised (understood RP)
   3. How’s your training going? Ah, I have a strict master. I’m just a novice, preparing for my third trial. (implies level 12) = both praised
2. Example #2:

   Two characters are standing side by side at the bank. Nothing happens for a while, and then suddenly both run off to kill harpies.

   Party chat looks like this:

   Hi.
   Hey, what are you doing? Wanna go level?
   Sure, where?
   Harpies?
   Ok

   What’s wrong? Party chat is meant for quick coordination in dungeons, quests, etc. But no character has telepathy. Especially not a warrior or ranger. So again, not like this.

   (MidkemiaUO 2025) Telepathy is allowed. No one forces you to write anything in-game. But if you do write, make it good RP.

3. Example #3:

   It's a small detail, but it still looks strange.

   You meet someone labeled Unknown and greet them with Hi or something similar.

   What’s wrong?

   It's not common for strangers to immediately greet each other like buddies slapping each other’s backs.

   Hint:

   In such situations, it’s much better and hardly more work to say Greetings, Be well, Hail or something similar.

4. Example #4:

   Discord chat:

   Selling a horse!
   Buying a horse.
   Kron bank
   Ok, I'm there

   In-game, the two characters meet, one silently hands over the horse, and gets a check in return.

   What’s wrong?

   Same as with party chat – characters can’t use telepathy. Imagine a trader on a market walking up to someone, shoving them a horse rein, getting a check in return, mounting, and leaving – all in silence.

   (MidkemiaUO 2025) Telepathy is allowed. No one forces you to write anything in-game. But if you do write, make it good RP.

   Hint:

   Try actually acting out the scene. You can arrange it on Discord, no problem, but for the love of RP, at least ask about the horse at the bank.

   Greetings, I see you have a spare horse, would you consider selling it?
   Yes, of course, I’m just looking for a buyer.
   How much do you want for it?
   You look like a decent fellow, I’ll give it to you for 3500 gold, agreed?
   *Inspects the horse*
   Yes, that’s a fair price. Here you go.
   Thank you, it was a pleasure.
   Likewise, farewell
   

   I understand not everyone types fast, but it already looks much better. It doesn't have to be a 30-minute dialogue.

5. Example #5:

   Expressions:

   chks, okie, :p , awesome etc.. – no one can avoid them completely, but at least don’t use them ten times in a row.

   Sentences like:

   my resists dropped, durability is 1/30, out of regs, there’s a quest coming up, etc...

   Think about it for a moment – would you say the same thing in real life? There are other ways to say it. You don’t need to give exact numbers to everyone. You don’t have to tell someone your physical resist dropped by 17. You could say:

   That spell weakened my armor. It suddenly feels more fragile and doesn’t protect as well.

   Or if fire resist dropped – I don’t know what happened, but now heat seeps through this armor much more easily. I didn’t notice that before.

   Durability – This weapon’s nearly ruined from battle. Look, it’s falling apart. One or two more hits and it’ll break.

   Regs – I’m running low on herbs, need to gather some or I'm out of ingredients.

   Quest – I heard something’s going on... Apparently, a bunch of adventurers already set off there. Maybe we can join them.

   etc... you can rephrase everything.

6. Example #6:

   Emotes: Emotes are a special way of communicating how your character looks, feels, or acts. Emotes are marked with * or the shortcut colon + space. Beware of incorrect emote use! You can’t use emotes to express what your character is thinking. Emotes are for things visible to others in the real world.

   Examples: *crying*, *points to the right* etc.

   Incorrect use: *thinks he’s an idiot* or even *looks at Karl Omočka* – your character can’t know someone’s name unless it’s been learned in-game.

7. Example #7:

   And now the most essential point, and also the hardest to enforce – really, impossible to enforce.

   RP isn’t just about speech (as has been said many times) – it’s about playing a role. That means truly acting as your character – performing a play for others and yourself. Choose your character’s role and then act it out. Yes, the role can evolve over time, but the important thing is that others can recognize what role you're trying to play. That’s what it’s all about. You’re doing it for yourself and for others. If 20 bland, identically-playing characters wander around, no one’s going to enjoy it. Not everyone can be the same – equally kind or equally evil. Some are kind-hearted, helpful, always smiling. Others are devious, cruel, scheming. But it’s not just about being rude – such a person would exploit, manipulate, and harm the good and kind. Try including others in your game plans – whether they know it or are unknowingly drawn in. Live your life in MidkemiaUO not just through monotonous dialogue or harpy hunts. Try truly interacting – set goals, make plans, scheme, stir up (in-game) conflict, take sides, drink in taverns, start bar fights, defend the weak, flatter the powerful, gain influence, eliminate someone, hire help, skip payments, fail jobs – anything.