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Dumpshock Forums _ Shadowrun _ Why do you roleplay?

Posted by: eralston Apr 30 2006, 10:30 PM

What reason, of those above, best describes you reason for role-playing?

Thinking too hard might not garner a proper response

Posted by: Kagetenshi Apr 30 2006, 10:37 PM

I enjoy manipulating numbers dramatically in a social environment.

That said, while I don't think I would continue to do it if it didn't involve manipulating numbers or assuming a character, I ultimately must admit that it is the social aspect that is present in roleplaying and not present in all of the other things I do in my spare time that I forgo for roleplaying.

~J

Posted by: James McMurray Apr 30 2006, 10:49 PM

Mechanical and social here.

Posted by: Wounded Ronin Apr 30 2006, 10:50 PM

Uh, well, I don't have the head for figures that some of my friends did, and I guess that straight up number crunching is probably my second priority. I guess that means my first priority is social, so that's how I voted.

Usually, though, what I really want is a combination of the silly and the outlandish in the flavor text combined with hard-nosed number crunching and tactics and plenty of character death when it comes time to battle. As I've said before sometimes I make myself an underpowered melee adept just to give myself more difficulty.

EDIT: As more evidence, if you go to the 410 Crash game in Welcome To the Shadows, you notice all my pdeath based comments in the OOC thread.

Posted by: Tattered~Seraphim Apr 30 2006, 11:06 PM

Dramatic and Social here. I enjoy the creating of a character and exploring their personalities and histories, whilst also having fun in the company of others. I've always loved fantasy and horror stories, even when I was a small kid, and used to love dressing up and running round with plastic swords and stick and string bows but was far too shy for doing any stage acting. Then I discovered roleplaying in my teens. ^_^

Posted by: Glyph Apr 30 2006, 11:26 PM

The social aspect is the main reason to play an RPG, rather than play a videogame or watch a movie. The number-crunching and roleplaying are both important components of the game itself, but interacting with others is the main reason for me to play the game.

Posted by: Dog May 1 2006, 02:48 AM

I generally regard RPGs as collaborative storytelling exercises. All the other stuff is in there too, except maybe number crunching. More than half of my group all did theatre together, and that's a big influence.

Posted by: DeadNeon May 1 2006, 04:20 AM

All of them except for mechanical.

Posted by: eidolon May 1 2006, 04:22 AM

1. Social
2. Dramatic
3. Mechanical
4. Literary

I don't know what "art" is supposed to include, but giving that I don't really do anything with the game that I consider "artistic", I'm leaving it off my list.

Posted by: PiXeL01 May 1 2006, 07:34 AM

1. Social
2. Litetary
3. Dramatic
4. Mechanical

Posted by: WyldKarde May 1 2006, 09:57 AM

1. Literary
2. Dramatic
3. Social

Posted by: stevebugge May 1 2006, 03:08 PM

Ranked they would be:
Social
Literary
Mechanical
Dramatic
Artistic

Posted by: ShadowDragon8685 May 1 2006, 03:13 PM

Escapism. I play RPGs because they're fun and they let me be someone I have absoloutely no fucking chance of being IRL.

Posted by: Daddy's Little Ninja May 1 2006, 03:13 PM

My thne fiancee, now husband played. It was a way to spend time with him.(The game was in New York. We moved to Pennsylvania so a lot of time was spent of the 'Jersey Turnpike.

Posted by: Wounded Ronin May 2 2006, 02:20 AM

I'm sad that most people don't prioritize mechanics.

Posted by: eralston May 2 2006, 02:45 AM

Well, I don't so much mean "because you enjoy the RP game's mechanics" so much as I mean "manipulating numbers as I do in most RP games gives my mind warm fuzzy feelings".

I certainly choose to play SR because its mechanics are superior to say d20 Modern, but to say I fall in the "mechanical" type of gamers is a little wrong (I didn't officially vote, but in case anyone wonders [which they shouldn't at this point if they read any of the other threads I post to] I'm mostly literary)

Posted by: eidolon May 2 2006, 04:06 AM

I do prioritize mechanics. They're my third priority out of the choices given.

The margins between my "reasons" aren't solid or vast by any means. I like getting the crunch close, but I don't sweat it to the point of perfect every time. It's not at the top of my list because I'd rather play than calculate statistics and odds every time I make a choice or a die roll. If I were the type to do so, mechanics would be the top of my list.

Posted by: HMHVV Hunter May 2 2006, 04:14 AM

Dramatic, definitely.

Ever since I started RPing (relatively recently in my life), I've loved playing heroic characters. I love playing the sword-swinging hero, or the pistol-toting rogue that delivers a wisecrack before firing the bullet that kills his nemesis, or the courageous military commander.

Real life is, for me, too boring sometimes, too mundane. More than that, sometimes I wish I could be someone else - someone I can't be in real life for whatever reasons (illegality of that person's actions, personality totally different from who I want to be, the character doing something physically impossible in the real world, or some other reason).

And I love that, for a few hours a week (I play two White Wolf LARPs every other weekend), I can assume the role of someone else - someone more interesting, living in a world more wonderous than the real one - and have fun doing it.

Posted by: Kyoto Kid May 2 2006, 04:21 AM

Dramatic
Literary
Social
Artistic

Originally was a theatre student way back in college. Also enjoy the social interaction as well.

Not so much into the paperback book series as I am into the story behind an actual scenario or adventure arc.

As to the artistic side, I often supply visual references for my scenarios and particularly like doing character drawings when my stiff hands are up to it.

Posted by: Wounded Ronin May 2 2006, 10:33 PM

QUOTE (HMHVV Hunter)

Real life is, for me, too boring sometimes, too mundane. More than that, sometimes I wish I could be someone else - someone I can't be in real life for whatever reasons (illegality of that person's actions, personality totally different from who I want to be, the character doing something physically impossible in the real world, or some other reason).

A lot of people seem to say things like that and it makes me wonder if I'm some kind of role playing freak because I do the opposite. I tend to make weaker or silly characters for more challenge. I think I'm allergic to t3h heroic.

Posted by: Raygun May 3 2006, 12:05 AM

All the hot shiksas.

Posted by: SpasticTeapot May 3 2006, 12:40 AM

I like playing something I'm not.
After all, after a hard day, few things beat screaming "Thom squish puny guards!" at the top of your lungs.

Posted by: Dog May 3 2006, 02:48 AM

According to certain outspoken people in my hometown. I roleplayed in high school because I was either a) mentally unstable and losing an already tenuous grip on reality, just like they say on TV, or b) under the influence of a demon- and magic-worshipping cult.

I can't say that I did a lot to dissuade them.

Posted by: eralston May 3 2006, 03:02 AM

Forgot to add psychosis and satanism as reasons. As oversight I will not make in the future.

Posted by: Kyoto Kid May 3 2006, 03:24 AM

QUOTE (Wounded Ronin)

QUOTE (HMHVV Hunter @ May 1 2006, 11:14 PM)

...I hear you on that one. I prefer the off centre type of character who has a lot of useful skills other players don't take because they would rather load up on combat & magic. one of my favourites in this vain was the reporter Lana Lane, who was constantly criticised by one player for being "useless" because she had a mediocre pistols skill, no Unarmed combat and only 2d6 init. Meanwhile she loaded up on the social and background research skills that made her killer in performing legwork and info gathering.

Funny thing, were it not for her ability to get access to VIPs and sensitive areas as a member of the 5th estate, a number of runs would have gone south rather quickly.

Posted by: FanGirl May 3 2006, 03:25 AM

QUOTE (Dog)

It seems like it's practially impossible to explain roleplaying to "outsiders" without making sound absolutely batshit insane to them. They seem to think that there's something crazy about a person constructing an alternate persona, but I don't think it's crazy at all. In fact, the Internet is making alternate personas increasingly common.

Posted by: Dog May 4 2006, 06:18 AM

Usually, when someone questions my grip on reality these days, I ask them if they read fashion magazines....

Posted by: emo samurai May 4 2006, 06:20 AM

And unlike most social events, roleplaying is, ironically, a very sincere action.

Posted by: HMHVV Hunter May 4 2006, 06:24 AM

QUOTE (FanGirl)

QUOTE (Dog @ May 2 2006, 09:48 PM)

Kind of reminds me of something I heard on a gamer's website once. Something along the lines of, "I always find it funny when people say I need to get a life, because I figure if I'm playing three characters right now, I've got at least four lives going, so I'm not the one in need of a life."

I love that quote; it's so true