So like everyone else I'm having a lot fun with this game. I have one issue that becomes more apparent - and it's the same problem as any game where I can do virtually what I like. It's me!

I struggle to RP with my character, to formulate a background or a personality that would maybe influence some of the things he would - and would not - do. I struggle to purposely restrict some things when I figure it's gonna help survivability or equipment acquiration or something. I've signed up with the Companions, entered the College, use Shouts indiscriminately (apparently this is not the Way of the Voice). I figure "well, my character is the main hero, he could probably therefore do everything!" This can of course lead to a bit of a faceless and character-less character

About the only thing that really defines him - other than appearance - is fondness for two-handed swords, destructive magic, wandering the wilds hunting, smithing, not joining the Thieves' Guild and siding with the Stormcloaks - all of which are just my own preferences and ideas coming through really, not so much to do with the 'character' of my Dragonborn. I suppose that is a few things...but doesn't really feel like enough when I think about it.

I think I want to change this and add a bit more dimension to my guy.

What sorts of things do you lot who "roleplay" in a truer sense of the word do? How do you play? What kinds of things define your characters?

I do things like you do, I just take whatever comes my way if it benifits me. But if I get bored of being a mage and want to be a warrior, I'll just forget that I ever had anything to do with magic and power level my combat skills for a long time and be a warrior for a while and if something else comes along I'll do the same thing over again.

My advice to you would be to start off with a trivial archetype, e.g. a brute who doesn't take [censored] from anyone, or a ranger that helps the common man. Try to interact with the game with the mindset of your character - don't do things because you want to do them, only do them if they make sense for your character. So for example, your brute won't do silly errand boy quests, and your ranger won't steal something for someone (in most scenarios).

Once you get the hang of it, you can try to experiment with more complicated archetypes.

In TES (ever since Morrowind) one of the things that actually helps me a lot is restriction of the number of guids I join. Not only does it give great replay value, but it makes my character much more genuine (in my perspective). I'm playing a good-aligned warrior right now, so I'll never join College, Bards, Thieves, DB etc. One of the things I realised after a while is that I ended up joining and becoming a high-ranking member of every possible faction, which killed immersion for me.

I've been roleplaying a Redguard in pursuit of becoming of the last "Ansei" or sword saint. It's actually been amazingly fun and I intend on expanding on it once the construction set is released. :thumbsup:

One thing I try, usually on a replay, is to pretty much play without using merchants. Instead of the looting...selling cycle, my char will just take better equip and weaps after killing someone or finding them in a chest or something. Travels light since there's no need to pick up two suits of iron armor that he or she isn't going to use. If a healing potion is needed, gotta find the ingredients in the wild and use them ... that sort of thing.

Works with everything from mages to heavy warrior types in all sorts of games.

An easy way to start roleplaying in this type of game is to roleplay yourself. It may sound strange, but "the real you" probably doesn't go round caving shopkeepers skulls in with a mace. Ok, that's a silly example, but the point is this - when you have a decision to make, ask yourself "what would I REALLY do?". It's not the best roleplaying experience, but it will get you started in having the frame of mind necessary for deep roleplaying.

That's technically not RPing. RPing is to be somebody else, doing things that your character you created would do, not what you would do directly.

This. I don't do it myself, but it's no doubt the best choice immersion-wise.

I just started again because my main character had no personality
I have another 2 great characters I'm really enjoying, but my main nord dragonborn dude was a stinker. My theif/assassin kahjiit is most fun.

I always try roleplay but it was lacking in him so I killed him off and another dragonborn stepped forward he seems to be shaping up alot better

I just start my character off with a one sentence description of who they were and why they are in Skyrim in the first place. You don't need a long background story to do this.

Example: My current character is simply an apprentice Glenmoril witch sent to Skyrim by her coven to learn at the college of Winterhold.

Obviously, she was captured crossing the border... and so and so forth. I made my way to Winterhold soon as I could and then let myself get caught up in the story as it unfolds. My views toward daedra, the gods, dragons, etc are all from the viewpoint of a witch. Don't need a long story or anything really, just a hook to get yourself started.

The trick to making a character is indeed to pick an archetype, as Theseus stated.

If you spend a bit of time on uesp.net, and read up on the various races, it will help you flesh out his personality. For example, I play a Dunmer that is very close to his religious heritage, and though he avoids breaking the law in general, doesn't refrain from his ancestral tradition of Necromancy. He uses the Sign of the Ritual, and he regularly summons zombies to fight for him.

He's kind of a basic effecient Dunmer build, using Archery, Short blades, and destruction, and he is definately good-aligned, but doesn't pay much stock into companions. Once he realized he was a Thane, he had Lydia follow him to his home, and immediately made her wait in the kitchen. Did I also mention he doesn't like women?

I really like this idea! I may make a variation - only loot gold, or things I will use: armor and weapon upgrades, potions and scrolls (that I will use), and quest items. And if I do upgrade equipment, leave the old stuff behind. Don't loot anything just to sell it. That way the only interaction with merchants will be to spend the gold that I find. No lugging tons of stuff around, running out of space, using your companion as a pack horse, merchants running out of gold so you have to go somewhere else to sell, etc. Really, inventory management has always been a pain, especially when you loot as much as possible. It will be very freeing to be a minimal looter. Plus, I love Alchemy, so that fits right in.

Thanks for the idea!

played an orc. She didn't care for state politics; she joined the Fighters Guild and that was that. Open to magic, slowly transformed into a battlemage. Loved her fireblasts. Only problem? She didn't talk much. It was hard to speak with traders and guards.

played a happy peaceful cleric. He walked around healing sick people. Helping warriors and mages.
He died.
Miserably.
Hilariously.

Jeeze, this world is tuff.

Played a really, really old redguard. He keeps calling people dagnabbed whippersnappers. Used to be a soldier, so he's a badass retired mercenary.
Doesn't do a good job getting any bonus quests. He's too tired.

I dont like being forced to join guilds. I did the dark brotherhood initiate quest with the little boy (not knowing it was for the dark brotherhood, and i didnt have an option not to do it) and then i was forced to become a member, i was forced to join the thieves guild whilst trying to find out how to rid myself of these stupid gems and now not only was i forced to join but i cannot even drop the gems. totally killed the RP i had with my warrior as now i;m a member of the thieves guild and dark brotherhood when i had absolutely no intention of joining either. I think there should be an option to not do a quest and have it removed from your journal, of course if this were on the pc these would all be an easy fix, but i;m not so :S

Maybe i'm just ranting, i still absolutely love this game and playing it as much as i can.

The jury is still out on whether or not I prevent my character from joining all the guilds, but I'm really starting to lean that way. I may just stick to DB and thieves guild for my first character.

The thing I have done that has paid immensely in making the game fantastic and made me feel like I belong is playing as if my character was a living, breathing person.

In other words, no fast traveling (unless he gets drunk and blacks out), has to eat one big meal a day, sleep at least 6 hours a day. If he doesn't eat, he has to eat more the next day. If he doesn't sleep at least 6 hours within 24 hours, he has to sleep 10 to 12 hours when he finally finds a bed.

He also has a certain code of ethics. He won't kill anyone that has gone out of their way to work with him or help him. He will kill folks that stand in his way, but no one that helps him will come to harm. Despite being somewhat morally off, this is the reason he didn't kill a few key quest npc's despite it would have resulted in two of the game's best artifacts. He basically spat in the Daedra's faces and said, "Ain't going to happen mate. Best send your Brute squad. Fred's not going to die by my hand or yours for that matter."

In the end, all he does is for the pursuit of power, but in his mind, 90% of the time, a person is worth more than an item. He's similar to D&D's Neutral Lawful or Evil Lawful.


Next I'll probably play a Neutral Lawful or Good Lawful barbaric Nordic warrior. I might have him do what Wishbone mentioned. Only make things he finds, none of this merchant business. He's not so great with buying or selling it so he avoids it at all possible junctions. As a certain book mentions, he "buys it with steel." If it's not bought with steel, he's not using it. This and I'll do the living person constrictions as well. It really has helped breathe life into the game.

It's called living off the land playstyle, you're gonna have a blast with it, with variations of difficulty you would wanna impose on yourself. Imho it's one of the most rewarding ways of RPing in a TES game.

Honestly, there just aren't enough dialogue options to roleplay most archetypes without missing out on a ton of content. "Hero" characters have to agree to quests without being able to ask basic questions to decide whether they should. Selfish characters don't have the option of saying "I could do that for the right price." Instead, you have to agree out of the goodness of your heart and hope there is a reward.

I find the only character that makes sense is one that gets bored easily and wants to spend life adventuring and involving himself in the affairs of others. Then it's basically just deciding where to draw the line on thievery, murder, and black soul gems.

I'm thinking I may try a character who is attempting to live according to the ideals of one of the divines or daedric princes. Might be interesting. If I choose Hircine for example, the first rule would be "If I didn't kill it, I don't eat it". Kyne would be the opposite (sort of) - no harming animals. Any other suggestions?

Seconding this. I do this with most of my characters, it keeps things interesting.

Well, if I put myself in the game, I would be the most boring person. I wouldn't go into any of the dungeons, mines, caves, etc. I would hide in the basemant when a dragon came. I would be the crazy dog lady like in oblivion. So I have to be someone else. Or else it would be boring. :sadvaultboy:

http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Oblivion:Roleplaying

Even if you could do a fire breath or freezing shout? Normally I might do the same, but crap, if I could paralyze folks with my shout, I'd be out carving Dragons like it was going out of style.

Long live the Internet! Man, what a great resource, thanks a lot for the link buddy.

great link