What kind of RPer are you?

It's always kind of fascinating to see what people will and won't do in the name of good roleplay. Knight Realms in particular seems to draw a lot of the kind of players who will go that extra distance in the name of a good story or a more powerful roleplaying experience. And that's what makes the whole Knight Realms experience so amazing.

I've been a new player, a seasoned npc, and now a part of the monster marshal team. I've seen all sorts of different people and different types of roleplayers all coming together to create an experience that is truly greater than the sum of its parts. As a marshal, I've had players who have come up to me and been willing to totally throw themselves into a role, even if it is something completely different from anything they've ever done. And that's awesome. It's that kindof attitude that really brings a character, be it pc or npc to life.

That being said, I like to think of myself as that sort of roleplayer. I'll do most anything for the sake of a good story. I've fought shirtless in calf-deep February snow. I've been the big bad that everyone's afraid of. I've been covered in blood and sent out to eat people in the rain. I've been the comic relief. The wiseman. The frightened mod hook. The creepy sociopath playing mindgames on hapless victims.

Cover me in full body paint, fake blood, give me an rp-intensive role, send me out as a purely combative npc, physically pick me up and throw me around. I don't care, so long as it makes the experience that much richer. I don't plan much for my characters. I give them personalities, quirks, foibles, and overarching concepts, but overall, I'm just fascinated to see where the story will take me. It m

Wow Chris I totally agree/respect that and I feel the same way. I really believe in letting oneself just take the role. If I was a big baddie sent into the rain to destroy people I would totally make the best of it. Kisses, hugs, punches, slaps, throwing me over your shoulder?! Whatever makes the experience better and more legit? Do it. (Well of course within the other person's comfort level) I'm cool with going that extra mile and I respect others who are too.
(Though I don't think I would like to be spat at hahahaha)

Not to undermine those who are less willing to go that far I respect everyone and their ways! I just think it's cool and fun when people like you, Chris, or Alex are willing to push the envelope.

Bravo!

My characters are kind of like catching a fever. I get a little drunk on the feeling.

I do my best to tell an honest story of a person living in that time period. They are likely riddled with imperfections as befitting the average man of that era. Some characters I have played are distinctly more stupid than I am, but perhaps much more brave and sometimes even more honest.

Sometimes being true to a role means making people who are acting around me uncomfortable, or afraid, sometimes I am selfish when helping myself to the delight I get from telling a good story.
When I stab someone with my sword, I imagine those times I've gutted a deer and I see it, the blood, the shiny slippery parts of people hanging off of them. It helps me appreciate the violence for what it is. Violence is scary and it should be , only the coldest most hardened warriors and murderers stop feeling something when they see another human or even humanoid creature stabbed to death right in front of them. And even those cold hard people are still suffering to see it, only silently.

Watch a real animal get butchered and ask yourself if walking out to "main mod" will look the same to you. Imagine what it's like. I do, all the time and it makes me uncomfortable and sad and very excited all at the same time.

I like when I get knocked down, cursed at, sometimes even getting hit the face helps me stay rolling in character.

My favorite moments have always been when I am most uncomfortable, sometimes it's sexy, sometimes it's cruel, sometime's it is disgusting, sometimes it hurts, but it is all fun to me.

Now this is interesting. My initial introduction to Knight Realms was very haphazard, and it was only after a certain midnight mod that I actually got into the mindset of Brunner and his thoughts.

NPCing, I tend to try and immerse people, doing controlled falls, shrieking and also some conversational pieces. If I am a more RP NPC, I want to try and know my NPC's role, and where and how he wants to act. If I can NPC a character so that it means more immersion, thats my ideal.

My PC has only been played a few times, and I always try and act out whats happening, from patting out flames off my jacket and throwing myself to the floor (Blast) to biting gold pieces, and actually bringing my sword down to do a killing blow.

I have difficulty sometimes, as I wasn't raised in an rp friendly area/environment, Australia is very *blokey*, so if you want to help and give tips, go for it in person.

For me its a mix of character history, history of the world and just a bit of myself thrown in to keep me grounded. I LOVE working with props during RP it just provides that extra bit of feel just describing something doesn't have if you can elegantly describe something that's well and good but their you have the rub you cant imagine what something smells like or feels like and if you do you can really only focus on one aspect at a time. When someones presented something physical they take it in all at once creating a space in their mind were you can pour forth glorious torrents of RP and have it based all in something physical something real. For me that's why i do this not for the Gold or the Power or the Fighting as great as it is the real joy for me is handing someone something and watching their eyes light up with thought and understanding because at the end of the day for me that's as real as it gets.

As to the issue of physical contact i hang back on actively touching people for fear of offending or angering them. As for myself i could be thrown off a roof or beaten vigorously with poles for all i care its all in good fun and good for the atmosphere.

Also as a side note to this rambling deluge for me "winning" is the ability to carve out and create your own area in which you are king, some resolve this with intimidating characters with a space bubble that follows them around, others do so with gifts or prowess with a skill for me its my props that do most of the softening blow readying them for the final strike that is conversation bringing another persons character into your realm is really the name of the game weather it be for their benefit or their ill improving the game around you in your own way is how you "win role-pay" at least that's how i see it.

With Knight Realms it has been a different experience entirely than another larp or game I've played started with a choice to play a scholar. A more heavily roleplay/downtime class. I was always someone who would pour over all the books in D&D and their suppliments looking for that cool combo or awesome feat that synergized well.

But I decided to throw the rules out of my mind and the window and just roll with it. I couldn't have made a better choice. If you'd asked me if I ever thought I'd be a warrior monk, I would have told you, you were out of your gourd. But the character sheet on the whole developed from the roleplay. Not from personal choices or building a character around a sheet.

From there I just discovered that by hanging so closely to rules, I was really losing out on a much more enjoyable experience.

As far as physical interactions: Jersey-friend rules are always good. But it's more of a thing relative to each person so you really can't make blanket statements on this. However in looking back: the amount of times me and Christine have punched each other in the face is astounding and I may have to re-evaluate hanging out with her IG for the sake of my facial structure.