Roleplay - A guide

[Reverend Del]

I write this as a veteran roleplayer of nearly two decades. Since my very first character, Thorax Groinhead The Abdomen Smasher, stepped off his character sheet to face adventure using the Dungeoneer system I've been entranced by the sheer possibilities roleplaying can provide for entertainment. From high fantasy to gritty cyberpunk and onward to space opera, nothing is impossible when the limits to what can be done rest within the human imagination.

In my twenty years I've learned a lot about roleplay and roleplayers and I thought it high time to share some of my wisdom. But first a mini lexicon for some terms that may be unfamiliar to you.

Rules Lawyer (verb) To quote passages of rules with intent of gaining benefit. In Discovery terms this often means misquoting the rule or interpreting it to the Rules Lawyers benefit

Rules Lawyer (noun) Someone who interprets the rules to his advantage whilst interpreting the same rule to anothers disadvantage. Rarely seen in Discovery, but considered a vile beast where ever they dwell within roleplaying circles

Min-Max (verb) To severely hamper oneself in one area to maximise strength in another. In discovery the missile boat is a strong example of min-maxing, going all out for figthers whilst rendering yourself utterly helpless against other capital vessels

Munchkin (noun) someone who endlessly min-maxes every character they ever have in order to gain the most advantage from each character.

Roleplay (verb) Quite literally what it says, to play a role. To immerse yourself in one role and pretend you are that role. Much like cowboys and indians you played as a child. Unlike those childhood games, roleplay games often have rules that allow for prevention of the "Bang! You're dead!" "No I'm not!" that is so common to childhood games.

Roleplayer (noun) Someone who roleplays. Simple as that.

Win (verb) Winning at roleplay is unlike winning at any other game, more on that later.

Four of the other terms are not particularly pleasant, and rightly so. The Rules Lawyer is a pestilence at any roleplaying game. Endlessly going on about the rules, or at least his own interpretation of them, he causes much despair for regular roleplayers who just want to enjoy the game.

Min-maxing is more of a pest here than it is in tabletop or even live action play, in a tabletop game the GM knows who is min-maxing and can take steps to avoid it or punish it. Here such steps need to be taken by each individual player and often times the munchkin in question has the element of surprise.

Roleplay is about fun, end of. It is a game played for enjoyment and if you're not enjoying it then something is wrong with the game. On Discovery that can take many forms, but often time the root cause of lack of enjoyment, is lack of fair play. For us fair play is important, we don't have a GM to stat up our opponents according to our strengths and weaknesses, no GM means that challenges are set by other players on the server. If those players are in it to win at all costs, fair play goes out the window. Which brings me to my most important point, winning.

Winning at roleplay is not like winning a race, you don't win at roleplay by beating everyone else. It's impossible and you might as well take a course in teaching starfish to dance the fandango. Winning at roleplay is done by beating the challenges with your party, in following the storyline and partaking in the game the GM has crafted. Smashing all in your path is often a detriment to good roleplay, and never more so than on a game such as the one in which we choose to indulge. When everyone can celebrate the victory, victory is that much sweeter.

Losing at roleplay is very easy, you lose when your play causes others to not enjoy the game. There is an exception to this, if the other's enjoyment involves doing anything that creates less enjoyment for the greater whole, than they lose, you just carry on as normal, but likely feeling sore about it. Recently I've seen a lot of folks losing, and losing quite heavily, at roleplay. It's depressing, because with a touch more decency and respect for their fellow players, these folks could have easily won at roleplay.

In short play fair, fair play brings the enjoyment back to the masses, fair play does not mean balancing every fight. Bad odds are a challenge, stupid odds are not a challenge, they are simply annoying. Double standards are also unfair. Calling someone a coward for not taking their ship into hostile territory whilst you flee for your life is seriously double standards.

The "In it to win at all costs" mentality is a mentality that should be unwelcome here. "In it to win" is fine, we're roleplaying a character here, but the other, whilst perhaps making roleplay sense, means the other loses enjoyment. For Freelancer lost enjoyment can be terminal.

---

Saint Del is considered a holy healer of diseases of children, but also as a protector of cattle.