I don't know if the title is explicit enough, i'll try to explain...

Before i even knew what role-playing in Skyrim was, i already did stuff that made sense to me despite the game not "recognizing" my actions. Basically, i'm asking which role-playing rules came naturally to you.

Mine:

Never wear helmets in cities. That always felt stupid to me, having my face covered/half-covered when visiting a city or entering someone's house. Same with heavy armor, i don't use heavy armor in cities, i change to fine clothes or something more civilized. Light armor depends.

Don't walk around with weapons drawn outside dungeons.

Don't run like a fool in towns, fast paced walk? Fine. Running? Rarely.

Hope you understood my question, now share yours

my characters always wears armor because he's a wanted man and also paranoid

No matter what kind of character I'm playing:

• eat and have a drink twice a day
• sleep every night
• take off helmet in cities
• wear hood/cloak/winter cloak if it rains or snows
• never fast travel (carriages are ok)
• equip backpack when leaving city to adventure, unequip backpack upon returning home

Oh, about fast travel, i've spent my first Oblivion playthrough not knowing fast travel was possible. When i figured it out i felt really stupid, but looking back, it made that playthrough much more enjoyable.

Now i also try to only use carriages, but i admit, sometimes i can't follow that rule.

The rules for me might change depending on the character. But here are my following RP rules.

• No fast Travel (carriage travel ok if it suits the RP for the character)
• Explore places that would interest the character and not for the sake of finding and exploring each place
• Only take jobs that the character would have an interest in doing
• Eat twice a day
• Bath once every couple days (swimming doesn't count) remove armor before bathing
• No helms unless it suits the RP of the character and he/she removes them when in a city
• Does not walk around with a weapon drawn unless in combat. Even while exploring the weapon is sheathed
• Only collects loot from crypts and caves to sell if the character makes money that way
• Sleeps at night. Depending on the character this means stopping at dusk to camp or renting a room for the night
• Wears a hood and cloak during rain, snow or just in cold conditions.
• Dresses for the conditions
• Carries a backpack to bring more realism into the amount of loot he/she can carry
• Only carries the weapon he/she will use. Depending on the skills this means usually 1 ranged and 1 close quarters weapon
• Mostly fast walks when out exploring. Running is for when your in a hurry.
• Some characters will camp for several days during a snow storm to wait for it to clear
• Uses followers for the company and not as pack mules
• Only buys a home in a town that interests them, otherwise I use cabin mods that suit the character if that fits the current RP
• I never play a character that is skilled at everything
• I never play a character that joins every faction or does everything

Well off the top of my head those are the rules I use.

Pretty much this. Fast travel depends on how much play time I have in that session, or if I'm just tired of seeing the same things for the 10th time that week.

One addition I have is that I will not drink potions or eat food while I'm under attack. I just can't picture upending a potion bottle while someone is swinging a sword at me.

I've heard a couple people mention a fast walk. AFAIK, there's only one walk speed in Skyrim. Can someone clarify?

This is a great one too. After a battle I will often make camp and recover for an appropriate amount of time if severly injured.

There's the really slow walk, the 'normal' fast walking speed (more like jogging), and the sprinting (as far as I know anyway).

Ok. I always thought of the three speeds as walk, run and sprint, not as slow walk, fast walk and sprint.

Never kill anyone unless it's required by quests or they attack first.

Leave livestock alone.

Never join more than two factions. MQ always optional.

Never perk more than one crafting skill.

Never leave a gold coin in any vessel, on the ground, or on any body ... and always check. (This is the OCD coming out)