I keep hearing about people who roleplay and that has sparked an interest for me and im thinking about doing it in skyrim.. what is roleplaying and how do you do it?

I thought it was exactly what your sig says.

Well...I'm going to google it real quick.

It's when you integrate yourself inside your unicorn and start making beans.

I roleplay myself.

The answer really would be determined by how strict your internet options are prior to searching.

Really?
What I was going to do is try my best to make Ehrm the Dovahkiin look EXACTLY like I do.
Its a phrase from the Matrix!

I just saw your picture on your sig. So much win

You just make decisions based on your planned character's ambitions, integrity, and moral beliefs. For me, I just project my own personality into my character, so I never steal, lie, murder, etc. even though it is just a video game. I find it more fun than just thinking of npcs as walking containers with loot, and it is consequently more immersive as an experience.

What will happen when you meet a dragon? I mean no possibility of that happening in R/L...so how would you handle that ingame.

Also, possibly could miss out on LOADS of stuff by playing the game as you would act in r/l....like the whole Dark Brotherhood stem of missions.... it's basically just Murdering.

Your character has a personality/character traits/fears/biases/aspirations/morals/a history etc
You really become your character or you sink into the role your character has in the world

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2XGp5ix8HE

Roleplaying a character is when you decide upon your characters past up until the point when you take control of him or her. You give them strengths, but you also give them weaknesses to simulate a dynamic character that you can really get behind emotionally. So instead of playing Skyrim with the notion of being the best class, best race, best this that and the other... You decide upon a race based upon which one seems to fit your made up characters personality traits, strengths and weaknesses. Then, in Skyrim at least, you simply jump into the game and begin to play it through the eyes of what your chosen character might do. So rather than base your emotional responses upon yourself, base them upon what your character might do in a given situation.

A good example of how this works is if you had a character, lets say a Nord for a quick example, who has a chronic fear of blood. Playing Skyrim with that character defect (albeit "made up defect") can be quite a lot of fun. You start to think to yourself, if I had a chronic fear of blood, how would I go about my duty as Dovahkiin? Well, for starters, you could hire on other people to do the fighting, and look away whenever blood begins to appear, or you could use nonlethal means of dealing with folks that result in a minimal of blood spattering.

And that is only one example of how a defect can make a character a little more engaging and fun to play as. In a "semi-sand box" game like Skyrim, Roleplaying can be an absolute blast, as the game literally lets you do whatever you want to do. I wouldn't recommend Roleplaying your first character, but definitely on a second playthrough it could be alot of fun.

Think of your character as a being, with beliefs, interests, motives, etc... bring life to your character.
so it becomes more than just you playing a game.
You don't have to do everything the game offers with just one character, although you could.
eg. A holy paladin probably isnt going to join the Dark Brotherhood, and kill for them.
In this sense it is sticking with a class concept.

There are different levels of role playing. Having game mechanics for support helps, so its not just pretending in your own head.
A video game will only provide so much support, unlike a table top RPG.

Some people play hard core in various ways. eg, sleeping, eating, or even keeping a character dead if it dies, then creating a new character.

If I am playing a Ranger, I will most likely live out in the wilderness, which is a main reason I want a portable campsite mod, since the game wont provide one.

...and as mentioned above, dont forget adding weaknesses. This provides great opportunites for new tactics and stategies in how the character will live.

I love to roleplay. For me, I enjoy creating a backstory and personality for my character, and then try and play my character in a way I could imagine he would interact with the world and situations which might arrive. Then try and see how the character grows and changes (or changes the world) based on the situations he experiences.

For example, here are a couple of the characters I am considering (I usually create several characters at the beginning and play them as I see fit)


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Michael Storm
Breton Wizard (magic)
Age: 55

Skill Concentrations:
Destruction
Conjuration
Alteration
Restoration
Illusion
Enchanting
Archery

Personality/Traits:
? Open, fair but stern, bluntly his mind.
? Highly intelligent, loyal, values justice for the innocent and punishment of the guilty
? High magic ability, Skilled archer
? Obsessed with re-learning magic (which was considerably high before a spell wiped his memory of all of his spells). Hates necromancy

Backstory:
Michael Dragonstorm belonged to a prominent family of powerful wizards in Camlorn who have served the House of Camlorn for generations. As one of the key advisors to the Duke, Michael distinguished himself as being a powerful wizard as well as a strong voice for the “common people”. Michael was well known his pursuit in seeking justice for the innocent, and punishment of the guilty without mercy, regardless status or political connections. As expected, this stance often made him political enemies throughout the Dukes realm. Additionally, to hone his ability to remain calm and focused in pressure situations, Michael had become an expert Archer

Three years ago, in an act of revenge, the Duke and his family were murdered by a powerful rival family, aided by a powerful coven of necromancers. Although Michael was able to kill many in trying to protect the Prince, he was ultimately captured and faced the archmage of the coven. As a “punishment worse than death”, the archmage drugged Michael and cast a powerful spell to totally destroy his memory of how to cast magic and banished him to Skyrim, naked and almost dead. Hungry, delirious and desperate, Michael survived any way possible. Eventually, he joined a band of Nord revolutionaries, fighting against a corrupt local lord. Since he was not a Nord, Michael was betrayed by the band to the authorities as a trade for the release of one of the groups captured leaders. Thrown into prison, sentenced to death and awaiting his execution, Michael has been desperately trying to relearn what he has lost in his understanding of magic from other prisoners who have the gift. However, sooner than expected, the day of execution finally comes ………. and Skyrim begins.

-- with this character I imagine that we will ruthlessly pursue the knowledge of magic, and go on to be an important part of the Mages Guild. He could also potentially join the empire against the rebels, since he was betrayed by the rebels and has a good understanding of governing. But who knows.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Second Character

Mikael Stormdragon
Nord Paladan / Knight (combat)
Age: 24

Skill Concentrations:
One Handed (prefers a mace or hammer)
Two Handed (prefers warhammer)
Block
Heavy Armor
Smithing
Enchanting
Restoration

Personality/Traits:
? Well liked, good hearted, friendly, devout follower of the Nine
? Honorable and chivalrous with a na?ve view of what a knight should be. Loyal to the Empire and the Church, with a black and white sense of good and evil.
? Big, strong, excels in hammer and mace fighting. Skilled Smith with the interest in Enchanting his weapons and armor
? Religious belief that the gods will prevail. Strong desire to understand the meaning of his vision.

Backstory:
Mikael, the son of a blacksmith, grew up in Bruma. Due to his Father’s years of service in crafting and enchanting the personal weapons of the Count of Bruma, Mikael was appointed a Squire to the court. Mikael trained hard and became one of the top students in fighting with sword and shield. Devoutly religious, Michael also studied healing and restoration from the local temple, and particularly felt a strong pull in serving Akatosh. In an extraordinary situation, Mikael saved the family of the Priest of Bruma from an ogre attack in the nearby mountains, and was awarded the rank of Knight Bachelor in the order of Akatash. His first assignment was to lead a group of soldiers deep into the Jerral Mountains and destroy the den of ogres from which the attack originated. During the search for the ogres, the band encountered a strong blizzard which caused them to find a cave to wait out the storm. Exhausted and hungry, the band was ambushed by the ogres. While the ogres were eventually killed, Mikael had lost 12 of his 15 soldiers. Limping to a border town in Skyrim, to rest and re-supply. During the stay, Mikael witnessed a corrupt guard beating a local villager, looking for a payment. In “righteous” anger, Mikael killed the guard in defence of the villager, however many saw the deed. The next day, Mikael was arrested. Fully believing that his deed was justified and righteous, he voluntarily went to trial to argue the valor of his action. Not realizing that the court officials were also part of the local corruption, Mikael was sentenced to death, and thrown into prison. Confused and angry at the injustice, he had nothing else to do but meditate and pray. Three days after his imprisonment, Mikael received a brief vision – the image of a dragon. While contemplating the meaning of the vision, the door of his cell opens, and to his horror, the day of execution finally comes ………. and Skyrim begins.

-- I imagine this character will pursue the main quest to understand his vision, he might want to explore his Nord roots since he is not from Skyrim, or if there are church related quests he would folllow them as well.

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That is how I enjoy role playing.

Storm

Read The Wired, 3 hour preview. He role plays for a little bit with his horse. There is a example.

role-play
2.game session involving taking on roles: in a computer or other game, a session during which players take on the roles of characters



If that's not enough, it's putting yourself into the character's shoes, mapping his/her backstory, how they act, how they handle situations, etc. Basically you become the character you are playing.

I don't role play. :wink_smile:

This entire post is OOC.
Congratulations on seeking the path of role playing. You have a long journey, my friend. Remember, before all things. It is the journey, not the destination.

Well, you'll need some supplies to acquire in your quest to become a full fledged role player. Do not rush things , you can acquire
these items slowly and at your own pace. Mix and match as you progress. This listing is by NO MEANS COMPREHENSIVE.

Some form of intoxicants. Booze, wine, beer, or if your of the higher risk sort you can branch into the illegal substance tree. Feel free to mix and match.
Writing implements and paper. (This you will use to write down your drunken imaginings and 'back story' )
While brushing on this topic of 'story' The more complex and detailed you make this the 'more better'. If you end up writing a novella you could even become rich and sell your story on 'Amazon'!
Advanced practitioners will learn the art of 'dialog'. This takes time and practice. Don't rush it! WRITE IT DOWN. Practice your inner dialog voice in roles you are not comfortable with in that thing known as, 'real life'.
By doing this your role play can become dynamic and spontaneous, taking form in unknown and unexpected dimensions as it matures. Well enough of that ...


Candles (why will become clear in the S&M section to follow, most likely in a MUCH later edit, if ever.) OR you can just google Candles and S&M.

Leather and latex apparel of the sort you find a shop on the seedier part of town. Or if you live in San Francisco most any street corner shop. You can also find this on Amazon.
Look in the 'Domination' sub group or ask the Amazon rep.
Be sure to check out the 'Plushy Section' while on Amazon or at that shop. Many role players insist on 'Plush characterizations'. YMMV. You do not have to participate practice if you find it disgusting. However, they
do exist in disturbing numbers these days and one should be prepared.

Order some cool swords from any number of 'cool sword' vendors one can find on the internets. Samurai types to broad swords to them 'Roman Dude' Swords and associated accessories. You don't have to spend a
ton on these items unless you want swords that do not break as soon as they are tapped against anything. In fact, they don't' even have to be real steel. Probably better for a novice if they are not, especially
if your not used to 'intoxicants' and responsible usage of such.

Some rubber dolls if you don't' have friends in the basemant or institution you live in that wish to participate in your new hobby.

Some safety gear:
Rubber mats.
Knee pads and mouth guards (you could just use the rubber ball gag you got at the 'seedy shop' mentioned above though if you want to be efficient with your outlay of cash)
At least one helmet. All sorts of these. Pick one for your expected role. You can get these at Amazon too. If your on a budget get creative and just doll up a work site helmet you can get at the local Home Depot hardware store.
A crotch guard may be deemed desirable for the novice. Same seedy shop can supply these.
Cool sunglasses can sub as eye protection. Buy quality here.
A working cell phone or land line you can dial out on.
At least one fire extinguisher. Be sure it is rated for the fire types you may expect. (use google to research)
Eyewash. Saline solution will be fine. Find it at your local Walmart.
Listerine or a generic equivalent. You'll feel the urge to gargle a lot. Trust me. As an alternative you can just use booze but be sure to spit it out. Only swallow after the first clean rinse.
Oh, bandages and tape. Almost forgot that.
The tape should probably be 'duct tape' as it tends to make better restraint and can double as a medical tape as well in a pinch.

A SAFETY word or phrase. Very important if your role play involves other humans.

You'll need to learn to say or type 'OOC' a lot when beginning. OOC is a acronym 'Out of Character' meaning to all that have knowledge of such that your about to blurt things that are NOT IN CHARACTER.
This is very important so those that you are role playing with are not confused and think when you say:
OOC: I have to go feed my lizard, BRB" (Be right back) that your not saying something your nasty character
would say to start some new bizarre role play twist nor do they need to dream up something witty to say on the spot.
While on that topic it is important to set rules on your RP conversation. Is your character in RP all the time or something you can drop in and out of? If the latter you MUST define precisely
how to communicate when not in role.

Of course since this is a single player game if you take this too far you probably should seek professional help.
In fact, come to think of it. Seek that now and have it lined up before you start. Keep a phone nearby as I mentioned above.


Well, there is a short list of things to get you started.
Have fun and remember, keep it real.