A Land Far Away

And your group? I was just wondering because I have been in groups and can find video on youtube of DnD where everyone is talking about movies or cars etc...the DM will ask for a roll...it is made and he will read something, then a guy will say something about politics and...well it seems like there is little in the way of RP.

OR does your group RP their characters, and the game is more than just dice rolls and levelling?

In my previous pnp groups we just talk about so much off the wall random stuff. After a few minutes of totally getting off topic, we return IC for a bit until someone says something out of context ICly and we do it all over again

Strict RP....

I have been in groups whose members actively plotted against each other, and in cohesive groups...no matter which, we would usually meet an hour or two before we'd start gaming to catch up with each other...and once the play started, it was strictly play. Even had an awesome group of 7 players AND 2 DMs once, and that worked out really well, especially if the party split up...just use different rooms until the party got back together.

Anywho...

Strict RP.. long and detailed combats (so we dont have many max of 2 big battles per session or it gets dull).. Lots of storytelling. Beer-drinking and talking shyte is also important as it is a social pursuit and we need to maintain balance. Similar to Dan we all turn up an hour early to talk shyte, organise pub runs and food and get in last minute DM discussions before the session.

Well at least thats how I used to do it. Now I run my campaign on Fantasy Grounds as I am in a different country to my group. There is still beer-drinking and talking shyte involved but with shorter sessions (cant do our 12-14 hour marathons looking at a computer screen) the sessions are much more story and rp focussed with rare combats.

Back in the day...there was a lot of goofing around and talking about soccer and hockey. I was always the RP fascist, being the dm most of the time. The best consistent RP I've experienced has been online.

The last time I played PnP was way back in college. I remember an awful lot of extracurricular activity and arguing over rules and lore, but also some intense combat and non-combat oriented RP. I used to love to paint those little lead figurines and draw maps on graph paper too =)

The type of PnP player that kicks your ass!

I bet I could beat you at D&D Jayde..

Our PnP groups is very much a "beer and pretzels" style of group, though without so much of either beer nor pretzels. Not so much in the way of character development, but they go like this:

1. Exposition by DM
2. See what characters do for a few rounds
3. Roll for initiative
4. Party still alive?
4a. If no, roll new PCs and continue with #1.
4b. If yes, continue from #1.

Edit: Also, throw in random OOC comments throughout the whole process and commence belly laughs.

Only is spurts did my old PnP group focus on RP. It's just way too easy to joke around at the table. Most of the time the game was mixed rp and OOC joshing (much as it is in ALFA, but without the benefit of tells to keep it from intruding on the rp).

Strict atmosphere.

Group works cohesively OOC, even if not always IC. OOC stints are there to discuss and flesh out background and check overall impressions, it's all there to build a larger story and maintain an immersive and rich atmosphere. Roleplaying is important and gets the spotlight, but we sometimes skip parts in narration.

To curb OOC joke interruptions, we usually start by eating or cooking together to swap stories and joke, and then remain pretty concentrated through the session (of course, there are enough laughs and jokes anyway, heh).

By and large, it's shifted to more of a story building thing than a strict focus on individual character roleplay and advancement, and we keep online archives with protocols and background information and story texts.

Long sessions of being IC and OOC. Nothing overly strict, other than keeping your focus on the game and plot. I usually was the DM, and I'd run all sorts of sessions involving serious plot driven adventure, relationships, comedy, one-off's, "to be continued's", sometimes focusing on the group in whole, sometimes on individuals, etc., etc.. but they all seemed to continue along as if it was an epic story.

I was big into Marvel, RIFTS, MERP, and TMNT as a teenager. I had a two-year long game running for both TMNT and Marvel, and by far, they were the most memorable and enjoyable. For Middle Earth, I hadn't DM'ed that as much, but those involved were pretty serious about it, staking out kingdoms of their own and creating strife on grand scales, even going as far as sending each other letters outside the game declaring actions of their realms to one another. I never did that... just played a dwarf that didn't live very long after rappelling down the side of a tower, slipping, and drowning in a moat.

There is also something known to the gamers I've met, and myself, called the Bewitching Hour, where after a certain time past midnight and after a great length of time has passed, the characters, the DM, and everything happening becomes rather uncontrollably hilarious, and it was hard to keep a straight face for anything possibly serious in-game. It struck everytime, and that was our alarm for quitting until next time.

ALFA was the most strict though, that I've roleplayed or DM'ed. I think it's easier to be that much more strict about RP, since I don't have to look at anyone's faces and they, of mine ( and no one is stealing my lime chips and hot salsa either ). The human-to-human element is all taken away and all you are left with is that textured assemblage of polygons you have to make alive and believable on it's own.


~Killthorne~

/me steals lime chips and salsa

My PnP group is for the most part strictly role playing. We stay in character, try not to go off topic, and in general keep our off topic conversation for breaks or when the game is over.

However, you can't help but break character sometimes and just start laughing over a out of character remark another player interjects with. All part of the fun of the gathering.

RP lite with a heavy emphasis on hack n' slash . The more giants to fight the better!

Lots of liquor, lots of bong hits, laughing with the boys, extended battles, play for 8 hours on a sunday, watch a bit of the Browns game in the background, go home feeling exhausted and happy!