Do you "roleplay" in RPGs?

[Sigourn]

If so, to what extent?

I personally never bothered. Whenever I try, I fail miserably. I prefer RPGs with strong mechanics so that the game effectively does the roleplaying for me. e.g.:
- Instead of pretending my character is weak and can't handle heavy weapons, my preferred RPG will have a mechanic that limits heavier equipment to characters with high Strength.
- Instead of pretending my character has to autistically eat, drink, and sleep, my preferred RPG will have needs mechanics that force me to eat, drink, and sleep... or better, not have them at all because these mechanics usually suck and are completely negligible.

My roleplaying begins and ends at the character creation screen. Afterwards, it is the limits that the game's mechanics impose on my character who define who they are.

 

[Twiglard]

You seem to be confusing role-playing with LARPing. See for instance the Skyrim LARPers.

 

[octavius]

It's ironic that so few RPGs actually facilitate role playing. The best ones in that regard I've played are Fallout 1 and 2.

Otherwise role playing for me is more like house rules to make the game more challenging, like only rest eight hours a day, no stealing or murdering if having a Paladin in an AD&D party or mixing Good and Evil alignments, and things like that.

 

[Glop_dweller]

The best RPGs are by Black Isle; IMO Fallout is a better game than Planescape—yet Planescape is the better RPG.

 

[Lemming42]

I try to LARP certain moral values for my characters but they always end up inevitably being a self-insert of me so the game is unchanged.

 

[luj1]

My roleplaying is pretty simple, I just make consistent dialogue choices. Occasionally I may holster a weapon in towns if I feel like it.

 

[Drowed]

It's ironic that so few RPGs actually facilitate role playing. The best ones in that regard I've played are Fallout 1 and 2.

True, but well, one of the obvious reasons for this is that in order to integrate roleplaying in a real way within a game developers will need to redouble their work. The reason that leads many RPGs to summarize the conversation options to "good, bad and good-but-sarcastic" is that anything else generates a snowball effect. Let's say you have a greedy character. Suddenly, you, as a designer, would have to ask yourself: how would this character respond to certain events in the game? You'd probably need to create specific dialogs for that type of response, which in some cases could alter the entire course of a quest.

Then you begin to think that the same must be true for any other personality traits: what if the character is altruistic? Or selfish? Or xenophobic? Or aggressive? Or dumb? Or temperamental? Or insecure? And so on, suddenly if you start thinking about the possible interactions between the player and the NPCs, you realize that in fact nothing can replace the role of a GM who will react in a coherent way, regardless of the player's action. So what do most RPGs do? They create some quests, put some alternative ways to solve them (when they even do that much) and leave it to the player himself to interpret the actions in the way they prefer. Maybe he fulfils a certain question in a stealthy way because he is afraid of personal confrontations, or maybe because he sees himself as a assassin, or maybe even out of kindness in trying to cause the minimum of victims. Whatever the case, developers leave the interpretation of motivations to the player.

So at the end of the day, I don't think there are many ways to facilitate roleplaying other than to create various alternative solutions to the quests and hope that whatever archetype the player created, he can somehow fit that idea into any of the solutions offered by the game. But sooner or later, you will always go through situations where none of the options sounds plausible or feasible for you, but that's what the game offers.

 

[Machocruz]

I do nothing the code can't recognize, react to, or reinforce/enforce. Otherwise it's RP without the G.

 

[Glop_dweller]

When I play Baldur's Gate (for instance), when the party reaches the Friendly Arm Inn, Imoen (the thief) does case & loot the upstairs rooms; possibly with Montaron, but never with Khalid, or Jaheira... possibly not with the PC either. Not only would it be out of character for any of those characters to aid, or accept that behavior, but also (and primarily) since I am roleplaying the thieves, it matters if they fail their skill checks, and/or if they don't survive any combats they themselves have instigated... You don't pull a paladin or lawful priest along on your heists, expecting them to defend you from your victims.

This was a grand screw-up in Pool of Radiance II, because no character could be more than a few paces from the rest of the party... That meant sneaking thieves HAD to have clumsy mages, and noisy armored warriors in tow; a yard or two behind them as they crept. Ridiculous.

 

[Invictus]

I am currently playing a Dunmer Mage in Morrowind and while I am Larping a bit with his overall backstory for example (a foreign born Dunmer who sees the inequity of the Empire and tomfoolery of the Mage Guild and secretly is looking for enough power to join the Telvanni as an equal) I always try to “stay on character” meaning I don’t use axes or platemail on my mage and usually try play the role of a mage so sticking to daggers, magic and robes is my thing... sneaking is ok since he is so bad at it and focus more on summoning creatures to fight for me

 

[Ol' Willy]

Let's say you have a greedy character. Suddenly, you, as a designer, would have to ask yourself: how would this character respond to certain events in the game?

- I'll do the job, but you pay me 300 caps instead [barter success]

Here, and we don't need any GM to do this

 

[Clockwork Knight]

It's easier to stick with the "solo roleplaying" if you treat it as a self imposed challenge. the roleplaying flows naturally from there, rather than stopping to think of stuff you can or can't do based on the character.

 

[Sensuki]

I powergame instead of roleplay.

"Which outcome do I want?" and then I pick the options that will lead to that outcome. More often that not it's to get a specific quest outcome, item or the most XP. The Witcher 1/2 (haven't played 3) stand out as the games that made me consider and actually pick different options on different playthroughs.

More applicable to replays rather than a first playthrough.

 

[Arulan]

Only in so far that I believe it might matter. Though rare, there are some RPGs that really make you believe in the world to the extent that you're willing to act a certain way because it has rewarded and reinforced similar behavior before.

For instance Kingdom Come: Deliverance demonstrates from the beginning that time is important. You have to bring the ale to your father when it's cool, you have to show up at a certain time to meet someone, etc. There are several quests where you can talk to NPCs or take alternative paths that are never mentioned at all, but they make logical sense that it should be viable. Fallout, The Age of Decadence, and Gothic are some other examples that come to mind.

When the game doesn't let you see (completely) behind the curtains, and can still surprise you, you're much more willing to give it the benefit of the doubt when it comes to role-playing behavior.

 

[laclongquan]

Example is Fallout 2.

Same name Lucky Luke. For Luck2 Unarmed Jinxed Gifted char, it's an ironic name. For Luck 8 Unarmed Finessee Gifted char, it reflect the truth.

 

[Agame]

You seem to be confusing role-playing with LARPing. See for instance the Skyrim LARPers.

^ This. OP is describing LARPing which is obviously degenerate behaviour. Come back when you understand the 'Roleplaying' part of RPG.

 

[Commissar Draco]

My roleplaying is pretty simple, I just make consistent dialogue choices. Occasionally I may holster a weapon in towns if I feel like it.

I just role play as myself in most games the retired cop with alcohol problem and heart of gold if somebody is not chimping out in front of him then its Big Iron time:

 

[RNGsus]

A man can only play the role the fates decreed. Let the dice fly!

 

[DalekFlay]

I definitely think of a generic concept for my character and try to make choices based on that. For New Vegas for example, my first run I thought of myself as an NCR spy and every choice I made in quests backed that up. I'll also choose skills that suit that kind of broad character design, like silenced weapons and charisma. I like when RPGs enhance this kind of character choice with in-game quest routes tailored to certain character types via stat checks. I don't write long dorky backstories or put any real effort into outfits and shit like that, but I think having a generalized concept of your character's "role" in the game world is a good thing.

 

[xuerebx]

Only within the confines of the game mechanics. There were times I tried to LARP when I was younger, but I failed because it gets boring quickly.

 

[Sreggin Etah I]

i role played a warrior mage in Diablo 1, i couldn't finish the game though.

Soon, i'll try an all hobbit party in Icewind Dale.

I also role played a nerd in Fallout 1: high intelligence, low strength, low charisma , energy weapons only.

 

[Commissar Draco]

I definitely think of a generic concept for my character and try to make choices based on that. For New Vegas for example, my first run I thought of myself as an NCR spy and every choice I made in quests backed that up. I'll also choose skills that suit that kind of broad character design, like silenced weapons and charisma. I like when RPGs enhance this kind of character choice with in-game quest routes tailored to certain character types via stat checks. I don't write long dorky backstories or put any real effort into outfits and shit like that, but I think having a generalized concept of your character's "role" in the game world is a good thing.

Oufits are LARP unless NPCs acknowledge them like in Morrowind and to lesser extend Fallouts and Nev Vegas, other wise I just go for best armor for my PC no matter how it looks provided it doesn't look too clownish of course.

 

[Metro]

No LARPing. But I enjoy games/mods that put in survival-type mechanics provided they are done right and add to the depth of what would otherwise be a shallow experience.

 

[Sykar]

Yes. I also set myself reasonable limitations when it comes to resting for example.

 

[Bigg Boss]

I roleplay a lot for Let's Play reasons. I really need to get inside Captain Picard's head when I am raping Dunmer bitches.