Sheridanne Kelley on Role Play

Here are some general tips as to what to do when you are new to a new land (SIM) and/or new to Role Play (RP).

Think of RP as a combination of who you really are (your true character) and pretending to be in a different time, or place or situation than you normally are in. (Being in Second Life is all about that in many ways for you can “recreate” your outer appearance, your clothing, your status, your level of success or wealth.)

Be Yourself

But you always remain you. The words you write (sometimes speak) the way you move close to or away from others, the areas you frequent are all about your true character. So that is the most important thing to keep in mind. Even if you find you choose to be a Dragon or a Balrog or a hot beach bum, you are always going to maintain your true essence.

Pretend

Second about pretending. Almost everyone I’ve ever known can remember a childhood of wonder where you could be cowboys or Indians or fairy princesses or just grown ups (thinking it might be better if only we could tell little kids what to do too.)

Your First Time

When people enter a RP realm for the first time they will find something quite unique there and that is that a RP Realm is a dynamic “play” of sorts that is based directly on a story.  It is good to find out what that story is.  For instance with Valimar it is based on the writing of JRR Tolkien and specifically on the First Age of Middle Earth as we find primarily in The Silmarillion.  In Aglarond it is a blend of stories, some Tolkien and many based on other fantasy materials.  Whatever you do, find the background story of the realm you will be living in and understand how you will fit into it.

You will have an opportunity to choose a race in most RP realms (such as the Angel, Dragon, Drow, Dwarf, Elf, etc.). In some RP realms there are also assigned roles.  These roles are usually played by people specifically chosen for their essential character attributes and many other details about them.

These characters do not change and are carefully maintained by the people in those roles. If you are assigned a particular role or even enter for the first time, this RP will depend on your joining in the RP.

So first, consider your clothing.

In most RP realms, careful attention has been paid to ensuring you have free clothing to use when you come in, so you fit into the theme of the SIM, so please dress to fit in.

Second, listen.

My father always said we were born with two ears and one mouth and we should keep that in mind and speak half as much as we listen. (If you meet me you will know I haven’t yet figured out that balance, but I do try to work on it!)

But, if you are new, don’t start talking other than to say something like: “Greetings. I am new to this land. What can you tell me about this world?”

Then listen to the answer.

It may be you’ve asked someone who is also new, so together find someone to help show you around. Listen to the way they speak and interact with those they meet. Begin to consider how you may match your speech to the “general speech themes” you observe.

Also, there is a difference between what you say in “Open Chat” and in IM (Internal messaging). IM is private and does not disrupt the flow of open conversation. So it is best to ask OOC (out of character) questions directly with someone in IM, unless it is something the entire group surrounding you needs to know (such as you are leaving to go get a tea, like I am going to do right now). 

And if you are going to speak about something that is OOC in open chat, be sure to use double parenthesis around those words, example:  ((I have to answer the phone – be right back (brb) thanks )) 

United Nations of Languages

Most RP realms are like a United Nations when it comes to nationalities, so here is another hint. Although there will be phrases we may use that are authentically Elven or Drow or whatever, we also must be very careful of the words we use when speaking with someone who does not speak English as their first language.

Out of courtesy we need to keep our language and our sentences clean and clear. Thiss means not using words that have no meaning in many languages (unless the person is a classical literature scholar).

So eliminate words such as: thee, thou, makest, shalt, beknownst, aye; even words like m’lady or m’lord or milady or milord are difficult for even some English speakers to figure out.

If you know phrases in an Elven or Drow tongue and use them, be sure to follow it up with the translation, such as: “Diola lle arwenamin” (Thank you ). We are not in a RP realm to try to impress one another or visitors with our great stores of knowledge, but to help others appreciate the value of Tolkien’s works for example, and to help others learn. (remember we are dedicated to education.)

Role Play Classes About to Begin

In the very near future we will begin holding weekly RP classes. I encourage you to take as many as you can (and do all the homework assigned!). Until then I hope these simple suggestions have helped you enjoy your life in a RP realm even more!

If you have questions, contact Sheridanne Kelley or Maralee Greenwood,  And most RP realms have some kind of RP Council, find out who the members are and learn from them; or just ask someone with an assigned role, they will be delighted to help you.