Hard To Roleplay

[Jingo]

I have a hard time playing characters that require a consistent level of description. Bards pretty much epitize this for me. I can't come up with a new way to describe the sound of my music every single emote. I've played at least a couple of characters interested in dance as well but those turned out to be flops as well.

[Gimfalisette]

I can't come up with a new way to describe the sound of my music every single emote. I've played at least a couple of characters interested in dance as well but those turned out to be flops as well.

The sekret is to not attempt to describe the music with every single emote. There are many more interesting things to be done with a bard or a dancer, even whilst emoting that piece of music or dance.

http://www.zalanthas.org/gdb/index.php/topic,27725.msg291448.html#msg291448

and

http://www.zalanthas.org/gdb/index.php/topic,27725.msg291527.html#msg291527

for more details.

[AmandaGreathouse]

City-oriented roles. All of my characters tend to spend way more time outside the city that they're from than inside it. They often have people with them, but still, I don't think I could ever play someone in the militia on either side, or anyone else who -had- to stay in the city almost all the time. I just couldn't.

[LittleLostThief]

I have difficulty playing sociable yet assertive types.

I have trouble starting a conversation IRL, and no matter what I'm playing I have the same trouble in the game.

Either I can be sociable and not assertive, or assertive and not sociable.  Too much angst spills into any of my characters, and my tongue probably attributes to more of my character deaths than any other contrivance.

[Delstro]

I have a hard time playing assholes that other people want to be around. I guess it a circle of badness and wasn't meant to work, but I can't do it.

[a strange shadow]

I have difficulty playing an overly social character for any long period of time.

I fucking hate idle tavern chit-chat, man. I want to be out there doing things and furthering plots.

It makes me feel bad because there's a segment of the playerbase that I essentially ignore because of that.

[Barzalene]

In real life, I am a worrier. All my pc's tend to be worriers. I'd like to play a pc that wasn't, but I don't know how.

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

I have a hard time playing a follower. Likewise, I have a hard time being inventive and coming up with plotlines for my clannies or hoodlums off the seat of my pants.

Ugh. I'm sorry.

[Fathi]

I have difficulty playing an overly social character for any long period of time.

I fucking hate idle tavern chit-chat, man. I want to be out there doing things and furthering plots.

It makes me feel bad because there's a segment of the playerbase that I essentially ignore because of that.

Same here, and that's very difficult to balance with playing a public leader role, especially of the high-visibility clanned variety.

After all, you want people to know you're around and active and not just logging in biweekly. But I find my leader PCs tend to spend what could arguably be called too much time on their own property, doing stuff with their own dudes. Because often times they're just too busy to sit in taverns and make friends.

[a strange shadow]

/agree

[Haze]

The majority of my characters have been leader-types, and for the first time in many years I'm playing a weakling lackey with no immediate ability to seize power.  This is hard.  And to make matters worse, there seems to be a real shortage of active clan leaders where my character is.  I hope that they're out there, just away from my sight, doing stuff with their guys.

Dealing with the (perceived) lack of ambition in the people around my character makes this seem like one of the harder roles I've played.

[touringCompl3t3]

I have trouble playing really snarky or gossipy characters.

It's a gender thing.  I was brought up to believe (IRL) that men are never snarky or cattish.  It would be easier for me to cross-dress than to play a snarky character.

I personally think this is why I don't do well in game clans.  As a rule, I don't participate in social dramas, even when there exists a social expectation for me to do so.  It bothers people that I won't do this.

Hmmmm.  I like this thread.

Other people have such an easy time with those sorts of roles.

[NoteworthyFellow]

I have trouble playing really snarky or gossipy characters.

It's a gender thing.  I was brought up to believe (IRL) that men are never snarky or cattish.  It would be easier for me to cross-dress than to play a snarky character.

Snarky is different from catty, really, but I see what you mean.

One of my recent characters was an attempt at a snarker, but I couldn't quite pull it off, which made me sad.  I think it was more a lack of wit on the player's part than anything else (i.e. I'm less witty than I like to believe).

[Lizzie]

I find it really hard to play all my characters at first. I can't get into their heads, the "think" command is mostly unused, until I have a few RL days played on them at least. Before then, I'm still trying to figure out -how- they think, what they think about, what's important to them, and what kinds of reactions they'd have to things.

It's also hard to play a role, at first, that's mostly iso. Cause I fall into that nasty habit of letting my character sit there while I read the GDB.  I keep the client in the background so I can still watch the game and tab over if something happens and I need to respond.  I feel bad about that, but a person can only roleplay nodding at VNPCs telling virtual stories to their virtual clan around the virtual fire so many times before you get virtually tired of doing it.

[Haze]

It's also hard to play a role, at first, that's mostly iso. Cause I fall into that nasty habit of letting my character sit there while I read the GDB.  I keep the client in the background so I can still watch the game and tab over if something happens and I need to respond.  I feel bad about that, but a person can only roleplay nodding at VNPCs telling virtual stories to their virtual clan around the virtual fire so many times before you get virtually tired of doing it.

So true!

[Fathi]

I find my current character very hard to roleplay, sometimes.

But very, very rewarding when I do it right.

Edited: Why? I suppose it's because the PC in question has several key personality traits that cause her to react to things in a way that defies my intuition. She's very patient, very slow-moving and deliberate in her actions, and always thinks before she speaks. And sometimes, she doesn't speak at all.

[Yam]

I find my current role difficult due to a lack of familiarity.

I also find it immensely enjoyable.

[Morrolan]

I cannot play half-elves. I've never figured out how to properly. Read their race info, and don't tell me that's not stressful and confusing.
God knows how many times I'veTRIED. GAH!! 

A lesson I've learned (and this is often my favorite race to play): never try to judge yourself whether or not a half-elf was pulled off right.  Part of getting into the role, sometimes, is a serious case of doubt about how you're acting.

Sometimes, they're not hating your RP, they're hating your character.  Though, disdain is often a better choice of emotion.  A small sneer of disdain from a random stranger at the Gaj can set back RL months of achievement in a half-elf's career, emotionally.

Morrolan

[Rairen]

I struggle with playing PCs in leadership roles.  Leadership roles end up blurring the line between the game and IRL for me, and it always happens so... sneakily!  One minute I'm enriching the character's RP, the next I'm creating project plans, doing follow-up e-mails and scheduling meetings.

Edit:  I'm a project manager in real life, and this always happens to me and I always promise that next time, it won't happen.  *gets drawn in by the wonders of Excel and gmail document sharing*

[brytta.leofa]

One minute I'm enriching the character's RP, the next I'm creating project plans, doing follow-up e-mails and scheduling meetings.

At your table, you say, gruffly, gesturing with your sharp, well-balanced bone halfsword, in sirihish:
  "...An' lever'gin' our core compertences."

[Rairen]

One minute I'm enriching the character's RP, the next I'm creating project plans, doing follow-up e-mails and scheduling meetings.

At your table, you say, gruffly, gesturing with your sharp, well-balanced bone halfsword, in sirihish:
  "...An' lever'gin' our core compertences."

*realizes that she'd ALSO have trouble playing merchants who don't draw supply and demand curves in the street*

[Shiroi Tsuki]

Anything giddy, giggly, bubbly, naive, or otherwise unfocused.

If it has no sense of humor, I also will probably die trying to play it.

[LittleLostThief]

I do subtle like a mac truck.

[mansa]

I find it hard to play lesbians

[Malken]

I find it hard to role play a Chosen Lady

Especially a lesbian one.

(mansa, is that you?)