I'm rather curious about this topic, how much do the people of this community roleplay in Skyrim? Do you go as far to write a backstory out for your character in detail or do you just pick decisions based on what they would do and leave it at that?

Personally, it depends on the character for me, sometimes I will go all out with the RPing and write down a backstory for my particular character as well as fulfill their basic needs of rest/nutrition. On the other hand, I've also made characters that I will just use to mess about on, these will usually be the character that completes all of the guilds and levels up all of his/her skills rather than focusing on a set few.

Now a note about the poll, I don't think you can measure how much someone will RP so I've made it multi-selection.

EDIT: Prematurely created the topic, if there's anything you want me to add in the poll, just tell me. I'm rather tired at the moment.

I'll sometimes make decisions based on how my character would, but my RPing is usually pretty low. I don't want to put any restrictions on myself until I have a pretty powerful character, when I can afford to goof around.

just try to think as my character would

for me i tend to make a "theme" for my chars as well as a base personality. I play around with a lot of them. keeping them specialized.

the one that "clicks" with me is the one i usually make as...myself and go about the world as I would do it if i were in this world.

so usually axe/mace wielder, light armor (for freedom of movement), plenty of sneaking not so much to get a sneak attack, but to keep from getting dropped on. supplementary magic, not reliant but utility/defense.

I only eat at certain times but that It.

All I knwo is that I walked across Skyrim (and back) for Barbas, the clingy daedra pooch.

I do none of those things, I just have a personality in mind for my character, and I do things according to what someone of such personality might do.

I would like to ask that you include another option for "refuse to accept quests or join guilds that go against my character's principles".

Some people will play for completion, others will refuse to join guilds because of RP

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As for myself, I won't go to the extremes of not running most of the time, unless I'm feeling in the mood to truly just stop and smell the roses.

Still, I like to play an erudite Breton roguish mage with a bit of a thing against authority but will refuse to do the truly immoral quests.

Wouldn't that be either, "Make a brief background" or "Make an extensive background"?

@Wraith_Magus

Wouldn't that fall under the, "Don't do stuff your character wouldn't do"?

My Orc is true to his heritage, he wears his orcish armor with pride and swings his orcish greatsword like a true warrior should. Everything I do, I do in the mindset of the Orc.

This is pretty much my extent of RP as well.

im mostly just about writing a backstory, a background, and basically walking in stores XD

The extent of my roleplaying in Skyrim is that I stick to my character's disposition.

He is "Neutral Good." I help out the citizens, but I avoid the war. I am also a "True Nord" so whenever I see a prisoner, Stormcloak or Imperial, I free them.

I also do jobs like mining and woodcutting, as well as play games with children when in town.

Best RP moment for me was figuring out how to do Molag Bal's quest in a GOOD manner. It doesn't give you in-game options, but I did manage to do something that http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2241478; even if it didn't acknowledge it in the game.

Honestly, it's almost impossible to RP in this game. Skyrim is a fantasy world simulator (no, not the kind you're thinking of, pervert). The world of Skyrim itself takes precedence over anything your character can do or be. Besides, everyone is the Dovahkiin, you can't chose to reject that role or join with Alduin or whatever. The number of responses your character has the option of choosing is limited, race is almost inconsequential, character builds end up being a big gumbo of magic, combat, stealth, werewolves/vampires no matter what you start the game as. your character is an excuse to explore the land and story that Bethesda made and there's nothing wrong with that.

Or you could be a level 1 woodcutter right out of Helgen for the rest of the game.

Personality is different than background.

It that is what you mean, that option is not clearly marked in the poll.

You should have at least two different options for not joining factions or taking quests against your character's role and another one for an even more general never doing things that go against your character's principles.

Alright, I changed the poll according to your feedback.

The only one of these I do is NOT join guilds that don't fit the build, because being an iron-clad, axe-swinging savage doesn't seem conducive to the Thief's Guild or College of Winterhold.

I'm pretty light on roleplaying but I do like it.

I set out a personality and abide by it. I don't do quests that wouldn't make sense or interest my character. That includes joining guilds. I also like to prepare myself for adventures only taking essentials. No fast travelling either except for when I need to switch cities from Markarth and Riften for example but I only do this after I have walked to the locations myself. I'm paying gold so I see that it is fine.

I plan on making a DID stealth character soon though.

I mean, it really depends.

First time through I normally just have a rough role for the character in mind when I start out, and go from there. For all intents and purposes the initial playthrough is an exploratory playthrough. I want to see how the skills work, what opportunities there are and how the world reacts to what I do.
Subsequent playthroughs I might play in a somewhat more structured manor, and do all of the above (accept for writing out a back-story which seems uniquely pointless). But the first playthrough is all about getting lost in the world.