Everyone has their own ideas about role play.  Over my years in this Virtual World what I have seen in lands is that the easier you can make it for people to engage with the residents of your lands the better it is for overall role play, traffic, commerce and loyalty. 

 

In real life we have many ways to evaluate and get to know people, including: 

 

–      We visually scan them for little special things we always “look for”

–      We listen to their voice

–      We can see how they dress

–      We can observe their body language

–      We may watch how they relate with others and how others relate with them

–      We can ask a series of questions, such as:

 

o   What do you do?

o   Where were you born?

o   Do you live here now?

o   Do you have family?

o   What do you like to do for fun?

o   What is your favourite restaurant?

o   Do you like to travel?

 

We certainly do not have the luxury of having a file of information (the Profile and Picks, for instance) at our finger tips that we can access without them even knowing it (well unless we are a spy or a detective, of course).

 

There are some schools of thought in virtual lands that say you should not read someone’s Profile, but this seems unreasonable for many reasons.  Some are just the limitations of this media and also the compression of time or the acceleration of time in Second Life. 

 

Profile Limitations

 

There are of course limitations to the profile, in that the front page has a set word limit and that there are only ten “pages” to your Picks, etc.  I also appreciate the struggle of some to tell either too little (because you aren’t sure what TO write) or too much (because you have so much to tell).  It is a struggle!

 

If you play in a land often or make it your “home” then it is especially helpful to take time to explain a bit about who you are in that land – how you relate to those around you. 

 

If you have filled up every corner of your Profile, and love it just the way it is but still hope to help others RP with you better, consider having a notecard available with clear information about your character to give to those around you. 

 

And be sure to include time zone and preferred language, as this can be a very big help.  The second tab is especially helpful for this.  Also, some characters are difficult to guess the gender of, so a little help there is appreciated.

 

NOTE:  If you have attended the Role Play Class you will remember this is the one the homework assignment talks about as far as submitting something to explain your character better — if you feel you simply cannot change your profile.

 

This way, when you are in extended RP scenarios, those around you are served better.  Remember the profile pages are there for many reasons and we all have creative ideas about how to use them.  If you are serious about role play however, consider how this will enhance your effectiveness.

 

A well written Profile page and Picks helps others decide about many things.  Again, you only have to open a half dozen or so and think about what you see in someone’s Profile page.  If you have known someone over time, for instance, you can even see changes or news that you can respond to, such as a new partner or a new place they are RP. 

 

Playing in More than One Realm

 

If you play more than one realm then consider a pick for each of these areas with a little about your character.  Consider where your commitment is for RP.

 

Just remember, everything you put in your Profile and Picks gives others an idea of who you are, topics to talk about, etc. – sort of like an ice breaker in the real world.  It is like hearing the sound of your voice or seeing your body language from across the room. 

 

Others begin to form an opinion about you from your profile.  They might think you would be interesting to get to know and they are into something you really like or something you cannot abide or they are part of groups you enjoy or would like to find out more about.  Perhaps they are newbies or have been in longer than you think. 

 

Stop for a moment and think of what YOU look for/at in a profile.  Think of what you find interesting and helpful.  Can you learn from that for your own Profile or Picks?  We learn from each other in this world as we do in no other…so do some research yourself.

 

All good role play starts with considering this very basic area — who you are and what you reflect to others helps them RP with you.  If you are serious about your RP, then you want to ensure people who play with you have the best chance to do this well.

 

Break a leg — Sheri