Solo RP

[Darmonator]

I'm sure this has been discussed in great detail so if someone can point me to the appropriate past thread that would be great. But I just had a few questions concerning solo roleplay.

I am a hunter who likes to go on hunts often(but not excessively).

1) Am I supposed to being doing emote's and other solo roleplay type actions to show or prove I am not spamming, etc.
2) Will solo roleplay help me get karma? I have played a long time and generally always tried to roleplay properly but just now got my first karma point.

[Riev]

I'm sure this has been discussed in great detail so if someone can point me to the appropriate past thread that would be great. But I just had a few questions concerning solo roleplay.

I am a hunter who likes to go on hunts often(but not excessively).

1) Am I supposed to being doing emote's and other solo roleplay type actions to show or prove I am not spamming, etc.
2) Will solo roleplay help me get karma? I have played a long time and generally always tried to roleplay properly but just now got my first karma point.

1. There is no "supposed" for anything. If you feel the NEED to emote while doing something, you are spamming. Some actions ASK for it (re: Foraging) but there is no "do it x amount of times per coded skill".

2. Karma is just an OOC trust level with the imms. Spelling, actual roleplay, how well you lead, and how trustworthy you would be not to just spam forage for 8 days and never sleep.

[SMuz]

For skinning/crafting, you do have to do some emoting. An imm actually told me personally

I know some people who do a light emote when skinning, like ":flays the body with ~knife" before skinning and that's it. Personally, when solo skinning, I do a bit more, depending on how much I get from the body. Something like
:slices the head from the body.
:lays ~knife onto the creature's thighs and snaps off the legs carefully.
:runs ~knife along the flanks of the body, carving out a few slices of meat.

The more food, the more I emote from it. In a way, it's like a tribute to the mighty imms who gave me such bounty.. and in a way, it makes me more grateful for what I got and discourages me from overhunting because I'd have to emote a lot.

For foraging, I just emote whenever I feel like it. Yeah, you're not "supposed" to do it, but seriously, man, spam foraging (or spam anything) is boring. Emotes make it so much more fun.

Other players will probably have better advice though. I'm just a 0-karma noob

[Nile]

.
2) Will solo roleplay help me get karma? I have played a long time and generally always tried to roleplay properly but just now got my first karma point.

From my experience its a no. I solo RP way too much. More than anyone else on this game. No doubt. And it has never earned me a karma point.

[Comrade Canadia]

Playing a compelling character is a prerequisite for karma, but it's not how you get it. Karma is about how much you're trusted to do well with potentially powerful roles.

In terms of solo roleplay, I try to keep solo RP compelling for myself by spamming emotes and thinks and sort of getting into the moment with my character. The trick to solo RP is your character should be interesting to you when he's alone. If he is, how he acts in certain situations should write itself.

So when you're hunting - starting thinking of stuff he'd do. When he hunts for tracks, does he just "emote looks at the ground, frowning." or does he instead come across a spoor from the beast - or maybe the remains of a kill? When he's in combat, does he have any cool fight moves? If he takes a hit, do you just walk it off, or do you RP the fact you just got a huge horn in the stomach?

What you want to be doing is creating a scene. When you use code, you're interacting with the game world. the reason imms like you to use emotes with code isn't because they're trying to torture you, it's because it's expected that you will explain HOW you are interacting with the game world. Personalize it. No character fights, sits, hunts, or obsessively types 'l n; l w; l s' like your guy does. Emotes, thinks, hemotes, feels and all that are how you put your personal stamp on all these generic coded actions. Without those, your character becomes an automaton when alone, and the game gets narrowed down from a roleplaying game to a video game that's purely about improving skills.

[FantasyWriter]

What you want to be doing is creating a scene. When you use code, you're interacting with the game world. the reason imms like you to use emotes with code isn't because they're trying to torture you, it's because it's expected that you will explain HOW you are interacting with the game world. Personalize it. No character fights, sits, hunts, or obsessively types 'l n; l w; l s' like your guy does. Emotes, thinks, hemotes, feels and all that are how you put your personal stamp on all these generic coded actions. Without those, your character becomes an automaton when alone, and the game gets narrowed down from a roleplaying game to a video game that's purely about improving skills.

Well said... I applaud the statement.

[Darmonator]

I disagree or question the above for a few reasons.

1) If you are alone, unless the IMM's take pleasure in watching you emote and think while doing mundane tasks such as hunting and skinning solo then I see no need to do it.

2) You use think and emotes to create a story and provide insight into your character. When solo there is no need to provide insight into mundane tasks such as hunting.

3) I can totally see plenty of emoting and thinking when interacting with other characters because that is the joy of the game. Interacting. And I can see emoting and thinking when showing Imms and other PC's your reasoning for doing non-mundane things.

4) I am sorry but i have a life and emoting and thinking during SOLO play during MUNDANE tasks when the Imms could probably care less about and see thousands of times is just dumb and a waste of time

5) just to clarify less my previous statements are taken the wrong way. i love emoting and i love thinking and showing the Imms my motivations and I love interacting with other characters and generally roleplaying. But if i wanted to do these types of things alone I would sit in my room and play dungeon master and player with myself.

sorry to go off but since everyone took the other position and makes it feel so imparative you have to roleplay solo mundane things I have to center the argument. A mud is for creativity and interaction. Sometimes I get on and no one else is around. I'm not going to sit and emote and think why I am drinking water. That's just gay.

[Majikal]

uI disagree or question the above for a few reasons.

1) If you are alone,

How often do you KNOW you are alone?

[Lizzie]

Darmonator, there are lots of mysterious spooky unknown freaky creepy things in the game world, that most people wouldn't ever see, even if they knew about them. Those mysterious spooky unknown freaky creepy things might be watching you. And - they're not IMMs.

Having said that...

I think -everyone- has days when they just don't feel like solo-emoting while they're (allegedly) alone. What I do when that happens to me, is I'll make some effort every few minutes.

So maybe I'll..
craft bone into bone thing
(succeed)
craft bone into bone thing
(succeed)
emote gathers a few more bones and tries making them into bone things, using ~chisel and ~rasp with careful movements.
craft bone into bone thing
(fail)
craft bone into bone thing
(succeed)
emote grumbles and pushes the ruined bone off the table into a bin, and gathered her finished bone things.
put bone thing chest
put bone thing chest
put bone thing chest


So you see I'm not emoting for EVERY single thing I'm doing. I'm just really tossing an emote here and there, so *JUST IN CASE* someone is watching, they will know this isn't a bot. Even if I'm not in an RPing kind of mood.

[Elgiva]

I disagree or question the above for a few reasons.

1) If you are alone, unless the IMM's take pleasure in watching you emote and think while doing mundane tasks such as hunting and skinning solo then I see no need to do it.

2) You use think and emotes to create a story and provide insight into your character. When solo there is no need to provide insight into mundane tasks such as hunting.

3) I can totally see plenty of emoting and thinking when interacting with other characters because that is the joy of the game. Interacting. And I can see emoting and thinking when showing Imms and other PC's your reasoning for doing non-mundane things.

4) I am sorry but i have a life and emoting and thinking during SOLO play during MUNDANE tasks when the Imms could probably care less about and see thousands of times is just dumb and a waste of time

5) just to clarify less my previous statements are taken the wrong way. i love emoting and i love thinking and showing the Imms my motivations and I love interacting with other characters and generally roleplaying. But if i wanted to do these types of things alone I would sit in my room and play dungeon master and player with myself.

sorry to go off but since everyone took the other position and makes it feel so imparative you have to roleplay solo mundane things I have to center the argument. A mud is for creativity and interaction. Sometimes I get on and no one else is around. I'm not going to sit and emote and think why I am drinking water. That's just gay.

I just want to chime in and agree with others - you never know if you are really alone. Seriously - you never ever know. And honestly, watching a hunter who just enters proper commands and spam-fights all around the area is really reaaaally boring. And one more thing - however I might plan to interact with such hunter, this makes it much harder for me, as a watcher, to find a reason and a way how to do it - unless I want simply walk in and wave (which I usually don't).

Also, I disagree with statement under number 2). To provide insight in your character IMHO means to show off his personality in all variety of tasks. And if he is a hunter who spends most of his time hunting... then sure I'd learn most while watching him hunting. The story is not only about evenings, when he finally sits in the tavern to brag, the story is about days and days spent outside too.

Just my two sids.

EDITed to add: being one of people who actually enjoy sitting and solo-ing about mundane things, I honestly feel a little offended by a comment like "That's just gay." I agree the MUD is about creativity. I honestly think I don't necessary need other characters around to be creative.

[Preacher]

As I read through the responses, something struck me as a little odd.  There are a lot of "if someone is watching you" and "does this get me anything" type comments.

My answer to the question of why to solo rp is pretty simple.  Because it is fun.  I love interacting with other players, more today than last month and hopefully even more next month.  But, when my PC is alone, I have a great deal of fun with tics and habits and NPCs and any silly, inane thing we happen to be doing.  I'm not looking for kudos or points or karma or anything else.  I am simply enjoying the experience.  I will sit at my keyboard, typing, smiling, chuckling, getting all misty...whatever, and love every second of it.

And, yes, I do frequently n,n,e,e,s,e,w.  I also frequently 'craft this into that'.  But even that is, slowly, becoming n,n,check out the chick with the big cans,n,e,avoid a pile of dung.  It also makes staring at a scrolling "dull grey road" echo more enjoyable.

I've started using think a lot more in the last couple of weeks and don't use it for plot development or to supply anyone else with insight.  I use it because it makes my PC more real to me...more detailed and, hopefully, more believable as a person to those with whom he interacts. 

Sure my reasons are selfish.  Sure it may not be contributing anything directly to the world, but it makes my PC more believable to me.  It is a lot of fun and I'm going to keep doing it. 

When I first started playing, less than a year ago, it was enough to just try to keep up with emotes and learn how the world and the game worked.  It was challenging and fun.  Now it is less challenging, but more fun.  So I am able to play differently, with more emoting, more and better quality interaction, and more enjoyable solo RP.  This is what I want to get out of the game -now-.  Next month, who knows?  Maybe I'll have a new breakthrough or a breakdown or break a finger and not be able to emote.  But no matter what happens, I'll be back having fun somehow.

It is supposed to be a game.  If it weren't fun, why would we want to play it?

[Chettaman]

uI disagree or question the above for a few reasons.

1) If you are alone,

How often do you KNOW you are alone?

[Comrade Canadia]

Well, let me clarify a bit here. I know a ton of people don't place much stock in solo-roleplay and I understand that it's not everyone's bag. I have no real interest in condemning people who don't care for it. I think a majority of players don't solo RP or use think or that sort of ting. I may be wrong.

What I tried to do there was explain how to make solo roleplay entertaining and not a chore. Many people - I assume I can include the OP here - think that solo RP is something the imms force you to do in order to get karma so you can play cool casters and buff muls. That's not how the game works, and it's not in the spirit of the game. The imms want people to solo RP so that they roleplay in a roleplaying game.

I don't solo RP because I think an imm may be watching or out of some sense of powergamer's guilt, I solo RP because it makes being alone more entertaining. If I'm just lounging the base of whatever clan I'm in, it'll get old after a half an hour or so, but it's better than idling while waiting for someone fun to show up. If I'm playing a character who explores or hunts, which is entertaining in of itself, the RP livens everything up. The game becomes more immersive and well... fun.

Solo RP is also excellent character building. If you find solo roleplay tedious, and again, many people do - it may be that your character needs some tweaking. I've had a few times where I'm left to my own devices and discover to my horror that my character is boring. Figure out some way to make his thoughts and actions interesting to you in and of themselves. Because if the only thing your character can think about when drinking water is "I am drinking water.", you may need to re-examine things.

[Darmonator]

Thank you to everyone for their comments and insights. It is a topic that I have long wondered about. And while people have varying opinions about the subject I definitely get the just of what people are saying.

I would also like to extend an apology to anyone that was offended by me saying solo RP is gay. I should just say its not something I really enjoy. I enjoy the PC to PC interaction, exploring and trying to figure out how the hard coded skills work.

So I will try to compromise and try to find a middle ground. I will try to do a little better on character development. Try to make my solo roleplaying a little more interesting.

Having said that I don't really have any guilt in my solo roleplaying to this point and I do not feel I have spammed anything. I only craft about 3 to 5 things a day. I only hunt for a couple days at a time while throwing in sleep in there at night. Which is reasonable for any hunt IRL. I have only had a few sparring sessions with my new character. All my actions I try to base in logic.

Again thank you for your input everyone.

[SMuz]

If I'm playing a character who explores or hunts, which is entertaining in of itself, the RP livens everything up. The game becomes more immersive and well... fun.

Solo RP is also excellent character building. If you find solo roleplay tedious, and again, many people do - it may be that your character needs some tweaking. I've had a few times where I'm left to my own devices and discover to my horror that my character is boring. Figure out some way to make his thoughts and actions interesting to you in and of themselves. Because if the only thing your character can think about when drinking water is "I am drinking water.", you may need to re-examine things.

That summarizes what I was about to say Yeah, I find that solo RP becomes much more fun the more you flesh out your character.

[staggerlee]

sorry to go off but since everyone took the other position and makes it feel so imparative you have to roleplay solo mundane things I have to center the argument. A mud is for creativity and interaction. Sometimes I get on and no one else is around. I'm not going to sit and emote and think why I am drinking water. That's just gay.

It's more like masturbation, you'd need a partner for it to be gay.

Seriously though. It is kind of like masturbation. You're not always going to be in company, and if you can't have fun by yourself... well that's your own problem and nobody else's. You can't always expect fun to come to you, sometimes you have to make your own.

[Gunnerblaster]

Roleplay like you are writing a story.

Do you want your story to be bland and grey - Or do you want your story to be colorful and full of life?

You never know who may be watching. Just because you do not see others, does not mean that they do not see you.

[Maso]

Chiming in my two 'sids.

What you really need to do is stop worrying about who might be watching you and what you have to gain. If it helps, assume that there is always someone watching you, because there is always a possibility that you are being watched - by player or by imm. No player (or imm - who have also been players themselves) expect you to be some sort of emote machine, because it's really tough! We're all human here and it's about finding that nice little balance.

You're not expected to emote every single little detail, you're also not expected to throw in emotes just to satisfy some 'rule'. What you should be trying to do is add some spice and interest to your alone moments. Sometimes I'm just not in the mood - and the whole ordeal feels like a complete drag.

Like Lizzie posted before - sometimes I'm just adding in that odd emote here and there to help flesh out the way my character is dealing with a situation. I tend to find that suddenly one of my offhand emotes draws me in.

I've been riding east, all alone, through the scrubland, I'm bored. I take a break and my character dismounts, the wind blows in her hair and she catches the scent of something in air. BAM. I'm in there and I'm finally feeling it. The next ten or so minutes are great, interesting and compelling. Then I get bored again and ride east a bit more till I see a carcass, my character takes interest and BAM. There it goes again. This tends to be how solo'ing goes for me. It's an on and off thing, and I imagine it's like that for most people. What you don't want, is for it to be an off thing -all- the time. Likewise, f you try and make it an on thing -all- the time, you'll probably end up getting burnt out.

[hyzhenhok]

I'm opposed to the insinuation that coded actions are somehow separate from roleplaying. As long as your coded actions are IC, I don't think you should be punished for not throwing out a stock emote every once and awhile. If you're sitting in once place, changing your ldesc should be enough. This is especially true if your PC isn't doing anything out of the ordinary. So it depends on the circumstances.

If you're doing something out of the ordinary, or have a peculiar motivation, it's more important to emote. It will help you prevent yourself from falling into purely OOC motivation, which is a greater temptation when you think that no one else is around.

[Yokunama]

Solo RP isn't everyone's cup of tea.

[Clearsighted]

I don't know why people torture themselves about solo RPing, to where they feel if they're not doing it 24/7, they can't play or are twinking out.

No imm is going to add some note about you being an amazing solo RPer who should definitely get their next defiler app approved, which will pay off you forcing yourself to RP for some invisible judge.

In reality, unless you've got a review flag switched on, or are apped into a very sensitive political role, noone is likely to notice you at all. When they do glance at you, it'll often be misplaced speculation as to your motives. I've played a character for 43 days playing time, whose only note he got was a flippant addition regarding an event months after it happened, and made zero mention of the sincere discussions that went toward resolving it (and set almost certainly given the wording by someone that wasn't one of those who originally handled it). I played a character for hardly one and a half days playing time, and I was noted for fighting critters while mounted. There's no real rhyme or reason beyond random chance.

I'm not bitter. I know the drill. But I am sharing this to illustrate a point: Namely, those that wring their hands about feeling the need to force themselves to solo RP, are almost always doing it in the hope or assumption, that they are being watched, and will reap benefits for it. It won't happen for you. If they do look at you, it'll be when you're logged in after a long hard day, and when you are tired and ready to sleep, you decide to skin an animal without emoting, that's when they'll see you.

This isn't the fault of either the system of account notes, whose flaws and merits are well known, or of the immortals observing you. It's just that I've noticed the people who concern themselves the most about it, are doing it with the assumption they have an audience who will appreciate it.

You don't.

For most of us, the best we can do, and what we've made peace with, is to throw out the occasional emote every now and then from a mixture of passing inspiration or amusement, and sometimes, a tedious acknowledgment to rote habit, when grebbing in the dirt or skinning an animal for the thousandth or more time.

[Maso]

If they do look at you, it'll be when you're logged in after a long hard day, and when you are tired and ready to sleep, you decide to skin an animal without emoting, that's when they'll see you.

That is SO true. 

[Cavaticus]

Will you get a bad note on your account if we notice you skinning a dushkhorn without emoting first? Probably not. Will you get one if you sit in an apartment practicing spells for six hours without emoting at all? Probably.

Is in-depth solo RP required? I don't really think so. I very rarely did it as a player because I found it tedious.

Do we nevertheless appreciate you throwing out the odd emote when you're practicing your spells or foraging or skinning? Very much so.

Do the players with the most karma also tend to be the players whose characters are layered and interesting even when there are no other PCs around? Absolutely.

[sarahjc]

How often do you know you're alone?  That's an awesome question.

I'm not a big Solo emoter, but it does break up the moninty of solo tasks. My PC is very often alone for days at a time, and if I didn't Solo emote I'd go insane. What I use most when I'm alone is the feel command combined with think command, I love that combo and use that more then anything else.

But you do never know if you have a visitor with you or around you. And if anything a few nice emotes of stalking through the grass, or a well skinned kill, make hunting tasks a least a little more interesting. A few flashes of lighting make a spam fest of casting more fun, and typing a few words on what you are actually using to make that arrow head or poison cure can make the task less boring.

I dunno, for me half the fun of the game is writing a good story, and in a good story, people do stuff.. when others are around, or when they aren't.

[Nile]

I dunno, for me half the fun of the game is writing a good story, and in a good story, people do stuff.. when others are around, or when they aren't.

I agree. I log into arm and solo RP happily. I mean, I have an entire WORLD at my disposal...All I have to do is bring it to life.

If I didn't play arm I'd sit around writing books or something.

[SMuz]

Solo RP is a bit like homework. The imms enjoy it. I enjoy it more than I care to admit.. certainly brings out the depth in my character. But when it feels like I'm the only one enjoying it, I feel like everyone else is laughing at me.

[deviant storm]

I will admit it. I suck at the solo rp. I do much better when I have another character around to interact with.

That isn't to say I won't solo rp. It all depends on my rl mood, whatever's happening in game, and sometimes, on what happened previously. I've used solo rp sessions as periods to think over something that happened recently in my character's life. The way you might think about something bothering you while doing chores, perhaps. It's when I'm in the middle of working my character through some thoughts and feelings about something that happened previously that I find myself throwing in emotes and the whole rp comes alive.

And it isn't for the imms. Or for anyone who could be watching. I'm doing it because that's what works for me. It makes the RP fun.

Otherwise? I hate having to throw in the occasional emote while I'm sitting doing X alone. Sometimes I do it, and sometimes? I need to improve on that, I suppose.

[Rhyden]

Solo RP is like the icing on the cake. Mmm, icing.

[deviant storm]

Solo RP is like the icing on the cake. Mmm, icing.

Icing is alright, but it can be too sweet on its own, or if there's too much of it. I like plenty of cake with my icing.


In other words, build the character first. Let that character react icly to events around him, to make the solo rp 'icing'. Or maybe I've extended things a bit too far here.

[staggerlee]

I rp better when I'm alone sometimes. I think that the core of my character development happens during solo rp, and my most colorful and creative emotes happen when I'm alone.

I do like to imagine that there are staff and hidden pcs watching me for some portion of that. But who knows. It doesn't really matter, I get enjoyment out of it.

[Rhyden]

Solo RP is like the icing on the cake. Mmm, icing.

Icing is alright, but it can be too sweet on its own, or if there's too much of it. I like plenty of cake with my icing.


In other words, build the character first. Let that character react icly to events around him, to make the solo rp 'icing'. Or maybe I've extended things a bit too far here.

You can have cake without icing, darlin', but it ain't as sweet.

[Maso]

Ew icing. Yucky.

I'm all for solo RP though. But only when I'm in the mood. Sometimes I feel like it, sometimes I don't. When I don't feel like it - I don't cut myself up about not being in the mood for it. If I'm all alone and I want to spam walk across the city quickly because I really can't be arsed that day then I will. But I'm the same as lee, some of best emotes come out when I'm solo'ing. I'm less self-conscious and often more creatively daring.

[RogueGunslinger]

I rp better when I'm alone sometimes. I think that the core of my character development happens during solo rp, and my most colorful and creative emotes happen when I'm alone.

I do like to imagine that there are staff and hidden pcs watching me for some portion of that. But who knows. It doesn't really matter, I get enjoyment out of it.

[IAmJacksOpinion]

Sometimes I emote, sometimes I don't. I hardly ever emote during every mundane action. Most of the time it's just something quick I belt out without even thinking about it, like:

skin body
You ineptly hack the body to pieces.
:frowns as he looks over the unusable, mangled corpse.
think Damn. If only I weren't so buff there might be some meat on this thing.

It's more habit than thought, mostly.

That being said: What's the rules on trigger or macro setting on Arm? Sometimes when I'm doing something like foraging salt, I'll set a macro that repeats 'forage salt', and just sit back and toss in an "emote separates some color-flecked crystals from some plain white ones." Every 3 to 5 hits.
But that's me.

Also, yes, people watch your thoughts, emotions, actions. Anything, really. Other PCs are such vouyers. I've had PC's that did this often for various reasons.


As far as karma? The majority of mine came from writing a special app one point above my own current level, and never seeming to get taken back down afterwards. Heh. But as it was said, concentrating on playing an interesting character, interacting and involving other PCs, is the way to get karma. I played a militia character who earned me a karma bump because he helped everyone, and employed everyone to help him at a very dead point in that city's history.

If you want to earn karma to try something new / more dangerous I'd suggest one of two things: 1) Join a clan, and be active OR 2) Just app the damned character. As long as you're not 0 karma, asking for a sorceror with the word "pimp" in his sdesc, a background of being the king of his own VNPC city, two Absolutely Incredible attributes, and several "maxed" skills (LITERALLY have seen this done folks. Everything except the pimp part. Didn't have the heart to laugh in this guys face when he asked me to proof read his app) chances are you'll get approved. Just keep the character concept and description simple and you'll be all set.

Oh, and sometimes you can actually get positive or negative comments by the way you solo RP. I've got both of these in my account notes: 
"Emoted getting bucked off his kank, as a result of beating the thing from frustration." +
and a
"Went to low health several times, slept it off in between each, then went and suicided against a ____" - 


There are other times that imms will mess with you while you THINK you're solo RPing by possessing the thing you're hunting, or by sending you echoes of how miserable kank-flies are making you.

Fuck I'm tired. I think I've completely failed to make a decisive point here.

[rishenko]

My last character spent an ungodly amount of time alone.  Luckily, I enjoy solo rp.  I didn't always put a huge amount of effort into it, but I would like to think that I was pretty damn consistent about emoting, thinking, feeling and the like during his many solitary adventures. 

If my character saw something interesting...or just had a thought, I tried to put a think to it.  If he got annoyed or had a passing train of emotion, I tried to have him feel it.  If I found myself mumbling as him about some animal in the distance, I tried to give him a murmur of a statement.  Doing such things helped me connect to both the character and the world around him.

I've stated this several times before, and others have mentioned it as well, your character is in a living, breathing world.  Take a moment and think about it.  A living, breathing world.  There's wind, there's dust, sand... raptors, critters, people, bustling crowds, hawkers, sellers, homeless...  If you're walking down a street, pause to notice that scrawny ass orphan girl skittering through the crowd.  If in the wild, watch that raptor on top of the dune turn its head this way and that before lunging in at some helpless prey.  Or, hell, just sit and watch Krath set, the endless plains and deserts giving way to darkness with silver and blood red hues coating the lands.

It's all there for you to explore and play with.  It's there to interact with, it's there to help with introspection.  When your character is alone, they have plenty of time to ponder things, to go over their lives, their dramas, issues...everything.

Don't make your solo rp revolve around the hope of being noticed.  That last character I referenced?  Sure, there were a few times where some imm added to my enjoyment or a rare character popped out of the shadows to go "OH HAI!" but nearly all of my solo rp was spent entirely alone.  Sure, at first I hoped and cared, but considering how little that happened (on this or any previous character), I quickly realized that the more I hoped I was being watched, the more I forced things and the less I enjoyed solo rp.

Do it for yourself.  Is it required?  No, obviously not.  Does it help you better understand your character?  Yeah, yeah, it really does.  It's worth the effort, even if only on occasion.

In essence, if you find yourself alone, there's no rhythm to have to keep up with anybody else - just take your time, use emotes/feels/thinks/says and further develop your character.

[FantasyWriter]

I look forward to my next PC being a solo character.

[anotherhippie]

I am new here and just learning but I smile down at ~child or :strolls slowly down the street, I just do little things to make -MY- experience more enjoyable..Call it solo RP or just call it..why i came to a RP mud,  to: RP.....

[Archbaron]

My last character spent an ungodly amount of time alone.  Luckily, I enjoy solo rp.  I didn't always put a huge amount of effort into it, but I would like to think that I was pretty damn consistent about emoting, thinking, feeling and the like during his many solitary adventures. 

If my character saw something interesting...or just had a thought, I tried to put a think to it.  If he got annoyed or had a passing train of emotion, I tried to have him feel it.  If I found myself mumbling as him about some animal in the distance, I tried to give him a murmur of a statement.  Doing such things helped me connect to both the character and the world around him.

I've stated this several times before, and others have mentioned it as well, your character is in a living, breathing world.  Take a moment and think about it.  A living, breathing world.  There's wind, there's dust, sand... raptors, critters, people, bustling crowds, hawkers, sellers, homeless...  If you're walking down a street, pause to notice that scrawny ass orphan girl skittering through the crowd.  If in the wild, watch that raptor on top of the dune turn its head this way and that before lunging in at some helpless prey.  Or, hell, just sit and watch Krath set, the endless plains and deserts giving way to darkness with silver and blood red hues coating the lands.

It's all there for you to explore and play with.  It's there to interact with, it's there to help with introspection.  When your character is alone, they have plenty of time to ponder things, to go over their lives, their dramas, issues...everything.

Don't make your solo rp revolve around the hope of being noticed.  That last character I referenced?  Sure, there were a few times where some imm added to my enjoyment or a rare character popped out of the shadows to go "OH HAI!" but nearly all of my solo rp was spent entirely alone.  Sure, at first I hoped and cared, but considering how little that happened (on this or any previous character), I quickly realized that the more I hoped I was being watched, the more I forced things and the less I enjoyed solo rp.

Do it for yourself.  Is it required?  No, obviously not.  Does it help you better understand your character?  Yeah, yeah, it really does.  It's worth the effort, even if only on occasion.

In essence, if you find yourself alone, there's no rhythm to have to keep up with anybody else - just take your time, use emotes/feels/thinks/says and further develop your character.

Very well said.

[WarriorPoet]

I have to force myself to solo RP.

So, I set limits and goals. Every two or three forages, emote or talk to the mount. Every other glasshacker swing, bitch about the heat or emote. I try to make myself transfer my own inner monologue to character Thinks. I rarely use feel or mood, but I'm trying to improve on it. I do my best to keep up some sort of activity aside from coded skills and all but I find it hard to do when there's no one around to appreciate it but me.

[Is Friday]

I have many, many negative notes on my account because I have gone entire play sessions playing alone and not doing anything other than coded commands.

[Anael]

For me, it usually depends on my mood. I play a lot off-peaks, so solo rp is sometimes the only way to find amusement.
Sometimes I solo rp a lot, sometimes I just toss in an odd emote or think every now and then. I've found solo'ing made it easier for me to get into the character, but sometimes I just can't be bothered. Even when I don't do anything deep, I try to remember to use at least some emotes and thinks, because I believe it is helpful for Imms watching. How else can they know what my character is up to?

[a strange shadow]

Hunting, grebbing, crafting, and thieving are a hell of a lot more entertaining when you describe how you character is doing it, and take into account the world around them and their position in it. It isn't really about "Solo RP" - it's about entertaining myself, and telling a story. If I just wanted to mash commands into my keyboard, there's a lot of other games I could play.

That said, there are days when I have a lot going on in RL or I'm feeling uninspired. If that's the case, screw all that extensive solo-emoting/thinking/feeling. Usually I log out if I'm feeling that distracted, but sometimes there are reasons I want my character to be available IC, so - lackluster solo scenes you get, until I can really bring myself to focus on the game.

Who cares. As long as I'm sticking to character, it all evens out.

[Tuannon]

I'm resigned to my next character being a solo character.

I need to survive a mugging or the like for my 'start' for most roles I play.

[Potaje]

First I want to preface this with I enjoy Solo Rp, do quiet a bit of it myself, its kind of a training for Interactions with others, or when they are around and I am going to teach them the techniques and process of this or that... but what I have to say is that I find it hard, and I try, to emote while fighting and get it to make sense, like when one is gored by a horn, or split open with a pinch... by the time I get around to the reaction to said attack damage, it has past long by and we have struck each other many times since.... what to do...
not to mention if you are not so good at the fighting you are trying to emote as you are trying to get your flee off.... and another thing when Rping with others it seems that I need a moment to put thought into the appropriate expressions or reactions and the scene is just rolling by and i find my emote to an action there reactions behind.

[Zoltan]

My most intense moments on the mud (for the most part) were solo RP'd moments. I always try to make time with any character to get into their head and see just how fucked up they can be.

That said, I'm definitely more of a social player.

[HTX]

Usually I'm not much of a solo RPer, but with my last character I spammed the hell out of the think/feel commands, ever since I discovered how useful a tool think/feel is for fleshing out your character's likes/dislikes/opinions/quirks and getting into their personality and their head.

Look at solo RP as a great tool for making a well-rounded character, not just a way to get karma and keep any watching imms entertained.

[zealus]

i just want to add that, me playing at a time that there are almost no players around in my character's city, i like to solo rp my character, when he is inside for some reason (i.e. in jail). I find it entertaining to interact with the surroundings, but i dont think that all movement should be emoted. However, when a npc hits my character, i wont hesitate to give a reaction in line with his anger issue.
that being said, i can understand that it can be tedious to rp mudane tasks, and i have to admit that i dont emote them either, but if something out of ordinary happens, ill allways react to that.

[jcljules]

I solo RP whenever there is the slightest chance I am being watched, and my actions might not be clear to them otherwise.

[AmandaGreathouse]

I like to RP with myself amidst other players.

You know, make my pc be oblivious and lost in thought as things happen around them.

Fun.

emote A gigantic and obese figure in a dun-colored dustcloak arrives from the west, passing @ by on his way to ~bar.

[Lord of Charas]

Solo RP is the coffee that warms me to 'real' RP . . .

It's what gets me primed and ready for action.

If I don't feel up for some Solo RP, then how in the hell could I feel up to any other form of RP . . . ?


-Jak

[Me]

I don't really solo rp all the time. As in, I wont throw out a three paragraphed emote about speckles of sands glistening under the harsh rays of Suk-Krath in every single room I go to. I'd move move move, throw in an emote..then carry on. Sometimes, I don't even emote - but instead I just use thinks and feels.

I'm not sure whether that's classified as solo rp, however I am enjoying it. I agree that solo rp is there to help us flesh out the surroundings and our characters, but at the same time if you're doing it for the sake of having a gawdawesome defiler-bender-mul-undead mantis breed, well in my opinion that's when solo rp becomes a chore.

[brytta.leofa]

I have many, many negative notes on my account because I have gone entire play sessions playing alone and not doing anything other than coded commands.

Oh, shoot--

[Whiran Luck]

Ah. Solo RP.

It's like masturbation. It can be an enjoyable past-time, but it's a lot more fun with someone else.

That being said, it's also like it in that it's best when it's natural and flowing, not forced because you think/hope/fear someone's watching. It's not about entertaining someone else, it's about getting into a groove, or just knowing your character so well that what they do when no one's around is like second nature. The best solo-rp, for me, is the rp I don't even have to think about as a player. I may be typing, but it's my character controlling their reactions and actions. When it becomes a chore, it's when I know I've lost 'it' with the character, and it's a good idea to try to find 'it' again; it being that elusive quality of harmonizing perfectly with the ideal of your character concept, sort of like being in the roleplaying 'zone'.

Anyways, to reiterate what some have said: solo-rp can be fun. It shouldn't be a chore, or a way to score ++ points with the watchers above, and if you find yourself gritting your teeth every time you have to do it, it might be good to question why that is, and what might be done to make your gameplay experience more fun.

[jmordetsky]

Fuck solo RP in it's little ass.

In my mind, I am my character. I will think to let Imms know what/why I'm doing something, but the person who said it's homework has it pegged.

Necessary evil.

[FantasyWriter]

I like solo role play when I am playing a solo character.
It drives me nuts when I am playing a social or clanned character.

[SMuz]

I like solo role play when I am playing a solo character.
It drives me nuts when I am playing a social or clanned character.

Heh, yeah. I don't even like people seeing me solo RP. Players can be so judgemental. Even more of a morale hit when everyone else doesn't do it.

[Versu]

 

Are you guys serious?

My comment is. If you don't solo RP all the time, you run serious risk of character loss from staff and players you don't see who'll think you're a twink.

Unless you run a very legitimate, law-abiding citizen.

[FantasyWriter]

Let me rephrase... When I am playing a social PC, I don't like sitting around using coded skill such as crafting and magick, roplaying one spell or craft out for an IC hour when I am alone... I am more like likely to "emote starting" "craft component into object" "emote finishing it up" then get back to being a character.  The deeper into a character I get, the less I rely or at least try to rely on coded skills.

[Lizzie]

Are you guys serious?

My comment is. If you don't solo RP all the time, you run serious risk of character loss from staff and players you don't see who'll think you're a twink.

Unless you run a very legitimate, law-abiding citizen.

Solo RP does NOT equal emoting every 5 minutes when you're alone.

It means doing things your character -would- do, for the duration, and using emotes, thinks, feels, changing your ldesc, or whatever other RP TOOLS you have at your disposal, to help build the story of what you're character is currently doing, and why.

If that means you should think "Gee whillikers am I hungry!" when the code says you're starving, reaching into a box and grabbing 3 mek steaks and spam-sucking them down, that's fine!

If you're planning on a RL hour's worth of crafting, it means you should -probably- toss in an emote here and there to show what kinds of efforts you're making, because most of the time, if someone IS watching, all they'll see is:

"The green guy lays out a length of fabric and begins to sew."

We observers won't know what you're TRYING to sew...we won't know what efforts your character is making in accomplishing the task. Often times, you'll run into people who aren't using ANY tools at all to sew..no scissors, no needle, not even a sword to cut the cloth with. And yet..the end result is an expertly crafted, intricately designed and embroidered doodad. And we observers might think..How the hell did he do that?

A single sentence, and a single tool..

pemote hand grasps ~shears firmly as he cuts into the cloth, then grabs a needle from a small box, threads it, and gets jiggy embroidering the shit out of the silk.

And then let the code do all the work. When you're done..you could even..

think Oh this is nice. I'll make three more!

and then let the code do all the work.

Just toss observers a bone. Not because we'll get you in trouble if you don't, but because it's the *courteous* thing to do, it's the ROLEPLAYING thing to do.

[SMuz]

OK, a thought on solo RP. How many of you really mind if I re-use the same emotes over and over for solo RP? Maybe, even, if I was lazy and uncreative enough, copying the same ones.

em shovels shit.
em continues to shovel shit.
em shovels more shit.

[Adieren]

I... uh... emote alone from time to time... but when crafting it depends on my creativity level, but I almost always emote my actions when people are watching me. I ALWAYS emote when beating up something. Like a training dummy. I screamed at it once.

[solera]

How many of you really mind...

I don't mind anything really.
If I come across you, its nice to get something other than the usual echo, and I always feel good when someone's emotes add a bit of colour to what I see.
If I'm sitting watching you, again I enjoy seeing a paragraph to set the scene.
But in the end, its your world you're colouring, and I'll just take what drops.

[Comrade Canadia]

OK, a thought on solo RP. How many of you really mind if I re-use the same emotes over and over for solo RP? Maybe, even, if I was lazy and uncreative enough, copying the same ones.

I never copy/paste, but it depends on how inspired I'm feeling. Sometimes I get out of my way to construct little narratives for myself, and ideally would do that every time I have to solo RP. However, when just going through the motions my emotes tend to become pretty damn samey.

[Fathi]

OK, a thought on solo RP. How many of you really mind if I re-use the same emotes over and over for solo RP? Maybe, even, if I was lazy and uncreative enough, copying the same ones.

em shovels shit.
em continues to shovel shit.
em shovels more shit.

I tend to use a lot of similar emotes when I'm solo-RPing things like crafting. There's only so many realistic ways to describe splitting a log into planks or stringing beads on a leather cord, y'know?

A solution to that is to not just emote about whatever it is you're doing. Emoting about other stuff--checking out your v-tribemate's ass, scratching your own ass, cleaning up the remnants of your old failed crafting attempts, etc.

I admit, I get pretty lazy when there's nobody around, but it's not hard to keep things interesting if you focus on things other than the direct task your PC is doing.

[Medena]

I hate doing crafting emotes. Anything else, even foraging, and I quite enjoy breaking up the commands with lots of solo RP.

I agree with Fathi's wise comments and would just add on -- another thing to break up the monotony of crafting is to use the think command a lot to review plans, to remember something that happened yesterday, random thoughts etc. then let these colour your emotes. Maybe you're pissed off about something that happened that you're remembering so now instead of carefully threading those beads onto a leather cord you are snatching them up, spilling some, jamming the cord through them.

[FantasyWriter]

I hate doing crafting emotes. Anything else, even foraging, and I quite enjoy breaking up the commands with lots of solo RP.

I agree, and merchants are even my favorite class next to rangers.

[Versu]

Solo RP helps consistency. Its great practice. Fer sure.

I don't think there's enough methods of communication between everyone and makes this game a pretty rad creation.

I'm glad to see peope meeting and talking in person.

It's weird.

Don't forget to email staff between emotes, because just solo-emoting isn't enough.

[spawnloser]

I emote when crafting, more about my characters reaction to the finished product than the creation of the product itself.  Think is a wonderful tool when you're crafting, or doing any solo activity.

[evil_erdlu]

I won't solo-RP my whole foraging session indeed. I won't bother. I'm sweeping my hands in the sands and checking things that I can grope. I can RP nearly grasping a poisonous bug accidentally, I can RP finding bleached bones/broken shell pieces/broken arrow pieces, I can emote about the weather and time and... I drain my imagination. How many emotes may I produce from that? But my pet peeve is different.

Let's assume your character has a unique beard/moustache shape. You need a razor for shaving and trimming. Good luck finding one. Because it seems razors are specific weapons and they are rare. Then soap? That's easy. A small beaker for hot water? It's gonna be hard. A suitable brush? You'll settle for one used for painting. Mirror? Now you're asking for impossible in most settlements.

Or cooking? Good luck finding a good set of cutlery. 90% of my characters have the subguild 'stonecarver' for the single reason that I'm a chubby person and I love cooking IRL, so whenever I want to carry that habit over to the MUD I'm lucky if I can even find spoons and plates, sometimes even a grill in some starting locations.

Red Storm is known for its seamstresses. Every red stormer tailor is forced to pay a visit to Allanak to complete his/her tailoring tools. There are rich deposits of ordinary and precious/semi-precious stones around Luir's Outpost and good luck to stonecarvers/jewellers starting out there. You won't find your tools if someone luckily didn't sell them already.

The examples are many. We _do_ require the RP props for hobbies, so solo-RP won't be a bother.

[Blackisback]

I think the best way to look at it is if you find solo-RP fun, do it. If you don't find solo-RP fun, don't do it. There is no right or wrong. As long as you're maintaining an acceptable level of RP with other players, you should have the freedom to do what you want when you play alone.

I'm very much on the fence when it comes to solo-RP. I do it, not because I like it, but because it's courteous to people who actually -are- watching you play. I want other players to have a good show, and if that means extra emotes, so be it. It doesn't add -that- much time to what you're doing anyway, and most people aren't asking to have every little twitch and movement detailed. Just give a general idea of what you're doing, how you're going about a craft, etc.

[jcljules]

I enjoy Solo-RP sometimes. But I always throw out at least one or two emotes to explain what I'm doing. And I try to pause every few steps when I walk. Because I've been a hiding/sneaking PC before and I realize how annoying it is to be trying to spy on someone who just spamwalks around and never emotes.

[musashi]

I solo RP a lot when my character is just exploring. But when I'm doing a rather dull task, like foraging, mining, or anything else that requires the same command to be entered about 200 times over the course of an hour, I tend to keep the emotes sparse (because you can only word it so many ways) and instead start having my PC think about things while he's grebbing away.

[Xagon]

If I have a mount while I'm doing something repetitive (Grebbing), I usually emote as many times as the mount does. It balances out.

[FantasyWriter]

If I have a mount while I'm doing something repetitive (Grebbing), I usually emote as many times as the mount does. It balances out.

Good strategy... Thanks for that.

[spawnloser]

I solo RP a lot when my character is just exploring. But when I'm doing a rather dull task, like foraging, mining, or anything else that requires the same command to be entered about 200 times over the course of an hour, I tend to keep the emotes sparse (because you can only word it so many ways) and instead start having my PC think about things while he's grebbing away.

So don't emote about the grebbing.  Emote about your pausing to look around.  Think about something and then emote your facial expressions as you think.

[Clearsighted]

I have many, many negative notes on my account because I have gone entire play sessions playing alone and not doing anything other than coded commands.

Oh, shoot--

I once received a negative account note for fighting while mounted.

I laughed.

I throw out an emote now and then, just out of habit, but only when I want to. If I have to torture myself emoting foraging for stone or crafting something in a unique and compelling way, every time I log in, I'd rather just not play.

[Aaron Goulet]

Personally, I solo role-play most of the time, and I always solo role-play when my character is doing something that may require further explanation for an action to make sense to observers.  I agree that it isn't always rewarding; in fact, it can sometimes be outright fatiguing, but the truth of the matter is, you never really know when your character is being watched...  And I'm not just talking about the staff.

That being said, when I think I'm alone, I, too, am sometimes guilty of not putting forth the effort to eloquently explain the manner in which my character's brow (hairless or otherwise) glistens with sweat beneath the angry, angry rays of Suk-Krath; in situations like that, I feel a simple one-liner will usually suffice.

What surprisingly hasn't been mentioned (that much) previously in this thread is the use of the 'think' command, which was designed almost exclusively as a solo role-playing tool.  I mainly use it to convey my character's true motives and opinions when engaging in (sometimes untruthful) dialog with other PCs (I got a positive staff comment for this once, and I guess it stuck), but when I last played, I had also used it extensively for internal monologue.  In fact, I am trying to get back into the practice of doing this, because, personally, it helps me explore my character's thought process when making difficult decisions, such as what kind of alcohol to buy, or whether or not to kick that stupid half-elf in the shins.

Anyway, having given my two 'sid on the matter, I'd like to ask the community a question:  Do you use 'think/feel'? If so, how do you use them, and how often?

[Fathi]

Anyway, having given my two 'sid on the matter, I'd like to ask the community a question:  Do you use 'think/feel'? If so, how do you use them, and how often?

They are my favourite commands and I believe they are the bread and butter of my RP.

I'm not joking when I say that sometimes I think and feel more than I emote. Which probably makes other PCs around mine wonder why I idle so much.

[Zoltan]

Anyway, having given my two 'sid on the matter, I'd like to ask the community a question:  Do you use 'think/feel'? If so, how do you use them, and how often?

They are my favourite commands and I believe they are the bread and butter of my RP.

I'm not joking when I say that sometimes I think and feel more than I emote. Which probably makes other PCs around mine wonder why I idle so much.

The think and feel commands are the single most important ways for me to stick in character. I've used think more extensively with some characters than others, but even just a quick thought here and there does a lot to keep me in character.

[Cutthroat]

During a dialogue with someone else I might throw out a few quick thinks and feels if the situation calls for them, like

think (sarcastic) Hah, yeah, right.
think (annoyed) This is stupid.
think (excited) I can hardly wait.
feel <emotion>

so I can keep up with the scene. When I'm alone my character might do entire monologues in 'think' and 'feel', and when my characters spend time sleeping, they're always dreaming.

[Synthesis]

I have this sort of problem where almost all of my RP is dialogue-driven.

It seems like I hardly ever emote outside of says/tells these days.

[Thunkkin]

I also find that I RP best through interacting with others or my char talking out loud to him/herself. 

I have a difficult time keeping up steady emotes/thinks while sitting somewhere waiting for health/stun/stam/mana to regen or while doing repetitive tasks alone.

[Medena]

I also find that I RP best through interacting with others or my char talking out loud to him/herself. 

I have a difficult time keeping up steady emotes/thinks while sitting somewhere waiting for health/stun/stam/mana to regen or while doing repetitive tasks alone.

I like to talk to my mounts.  Inix make the most sympathetic listeners because they bob their heads a lot.

[musashi]

I also find that I RP best through interacting with others or my char talking out loud to him/herself. 

I have a difficult time keeping up steady emotes/thinks while sitting somewhere waiting for health/stun/stam/mana to regen or while doing repetitive tasks alone.

I like to talk to my mounts.  Inix make the most sympathetic listeners because they bob their heads a lot.

LOL, I do that too.

[Riev]

The other day, I almost typed in "feel like there is about to be some Brokeback Mountain shit going down." but resisted the urge.

My feels tend to be more of the sarcastic nature. Something they might think, but is expressed better.

feel that going in there might be a bad idea

versus

think Going in there may be a bad idea.

[Rhyden]

I use thinks and feels to counter each other when I'm having inner dialogue.

think That's a brilliant idea!

feel like maybe it's not so brilliant, after all.

think But it could work!

feel it probably won't work.

[Aaron Goulet]

Riev and Rhyden...  You're both geniuses.  I'm going to start doing something to this effect.  Currently, I use feel like this:

Code Select Expand

> feel anxious

Boring.

[Zoltan]

I've had some truly heinously awesome feels with a certain character of mine. I think maybe I went a -little- too far sometimes. In fact, I couldn't post one that I can think of right now without feeling terribly dirty. Sorry all staff and psions that watched that guy. 

[Clearsighted]

I've had some truly heinously awesome feels with a certain character of mine. I think maybe I went a -little- too far sometimes. In fact, I couldn't post one that I can think of right now without feeling terribly dirty. Sorry all staff and psions that watched that guy. 

Meh, don't apologize to the psions.

[Potaje]

You can mix the two right?
Think (aperhensive) it might not be a good idea to go in there.
Feeling aperhensive you think: it might not be a good idea to go in thier.
This only works with think i believe.

[Aaron Goulet]

You can mix the two right?
Think (aperhensive) it might not be a good idea to go in there.
Feeling aperhensive you think: it might not be a good idea to go in thier.
This only works with think i believe.

You are correct.  think (mischievous) It might not be a good idea to kick that templar in the shins... would come out as:

Code Select Expand

Feeling mischievous, you think:
    "It might not be a good idea to kick that templar in the shins..."

Edit: Also, you are correct in that this only works for think, and not in reverse.

[RogueGunslinger]

I've had some truly heinously awesome feels with a certain character of mine. I think maybe I went a -little- too far sometimes. In fact, I couldn't post one that I can think of right now without feeling terribly dirty. Sorry all staff and psions that watched that guy. 

Meh, don't apologize to the psions.

lol

Seriously, feel is a great tool for internal explanations of just exactly what your characters condition is.

Code Select Expand


    The Hardass Templar looks at you.
> Think Oh krath!
> feel terrified as your bowls release a warm stream of urine into your leggings.
> pem hands begin shaking as the crotch of ~leggings darkens with urine.

Anyway, having given my two 'sid on the matter, I'd like to ask the community a question:  Do you use 'think/feel'? If so, how do you use them, and how often?

They are my favourite commands and I believe they are the bread and butter of my RP.

I'm not joking when I say that sometimes I think and feel more than I emote. Which probably makes other PCs around mine wonder why I idle so much.

Agreed. Which makes my logs way confusing because I tend to leave out some actions I'd normally be doing with emotes.