Roleplay Guide

Let's make a pact before starting: I will make it short, but you will read it completely. If you want to have a good experience inside our virtual world, it's important that you grasp all the concepts behind Roleplay.

The beauty of a virtual world it's similar to the beauty of a book, where you imagine the places that are described and, during the time you read it, you start to believe it's real, you participate to the story, you immerse into the description and into the plot. Imagination is what makes the difference, and if you start picturing certain characters, you will enjoy the book more.

In an online world, many things are similar to a book: there are fantasy places, characters, monsters, evil and good creatures, a story and many small plots, event and such. Most important of all we give you the chance to create a character, giving you much more freedom to interact and participate. To achieve that in a book you could write few additional chapters of your favorite book that describe the adventures of an additional character, you could describe his past, give certain spikes to his attitudes to make it interesting, invent his clothing style, his behaviors and attitudes.

In PlaneShift you can create a new character and have him participate to the virtual world.

What's of critical importance is that the character you will create in game is NOT yourself. He is another being with his wills and aims and fears and joys. You have to keep this separation as strong as possible to successfully roleplay.

Let's check what the dictionary says about roleplay:

Role play: To assume or represent in a drama; act out

That's exactly the point. You are asked to create a character, to think about his personality and goals, and then to act out, like if you was on a stage performing in a theatre. The more you are able to make it real for yourself and for others, the more you are achieving the purposes of roleplay.

Ok, now you may ask what the beauty of it is. In my opinion the beauty is to re-recreate a much as possible a fantasy medieval world that's full of life thanks to the people acting in it. Making it seems real, to be the most immersive experience ever, something a movie or a book will never give you.

As you may imagine it's not easy, because many people will not collaborate to this task, and "reality" in the virtual world can easily be disrupted by someone saying: "Is this a good game?".

You may be interested in what's allowed and what's not in terms of behavior and speech for a good roleplay. The answer is very simple: everything that your character will do is allowed, with his knowledge, his intelligence, his attitudes. When you have him speak, think to what he knows, not what YOU know. He can make jokes, but medieval or fantasy jokes. He should not be a hero at all costs, he can be lazy or chat all day, just have him do this with his brain.

If you start looking at the PlaneShift world this way, things will be a lot more enjoyable, and there will be a lot more to do than just going for monsters hunting or getting rich in game.

The kran looks at the written page, tilting his head a bit and scratching the top with his left hand. - "Well, I never been a novelist, but that should do it, I guess." He stands up from the giant crystal table, picks a thick cloak and looks outside the window of his sculptured stone house. He concentrates a bit and thanks to his magic vision, he reaches the Hydlaa plaza. - "mmmm... there is still much more to do, but things are surely getting better. Time for some magic!"