Be All That You Can't Be.

Roleplay comes in many shapes and sizes in the realm, there being almost as many flavors to it as there are players. Some take great pride in their roleplay, and do it well. Some neglect it almost entirely, or throw some token effort into it.

Roleplay should be more than merely throwing a few antiquated words into your vocabulary -- if done properly it should reflect every facet of your character's persona, from mannerisms to accent to beliefs. If you can stay "in character," and keep your role play up to snuff, you'll find the realms much more satisfying, and "real," than you will if you spend your time in game talking about the latest grunge album. And while talking about how cool the movie you just saw was might sound like fun, it may even anger some of the folks you're imposing upon -- it's very difficult to roleplay properly when someone's shattering the shared illusion by discussing something that couldn't possibly exist in a fantasy roleplaying setting. Hence, here are a few thoughts that might help you try to respect the wishes, needs, desires, and demands of those around you while in Neverwinter Nights...

Believe

It's not good roleplay if you don't even try to figure out some way to partially "believe" in your character. Find some justification for why what happens to your in-game character matters to you -- figure out why it should be "real," and not just a glorified chatroom avatar. You'll find as you play and your character develops a personality of its own, how much of a real person it will become.

Study

Learn about your character's class, align, race, and history. Yes, history. This means you'll also have to make one up. Make it up, stick with it, and keep it as a frame of reference in developing your character -- try to figure out how what's happened in your character's past has shaped who and what your character is today. Blend your characters likes and dislikes into that past, and vice versa. Try to craft a character that isn't merely what you *want* it to be, but what it *should* be. You may even surprise yourself with how you turn out, if you do this properly. Build as you go and learn from what happens as you meet other characters in the game. You don't need to have a completed, fully detailed idea of who your character is, in order to roleplay. Much of the details of your character's past will come out as you roll with the situations that live roleplay presents to you.

Think

Don't just blurt out every notion that comes to the tips of your fingers. Learn to pause for a bit, and try to add a bit of deliberate thought to what you say -- sometimes your initial urge to speak won't really be in line with what your character would want to say, and knowing when to say nothing is almost as valuable as knowing what to say when you say it. What could be simpler?

Practice

Yes, some roleplay may even take practice. Unless you already type with a heavy swashbuckling Jersey accent, for instance, you may find the phrasing that many Dwarves use a bit intimidating at first. However, judging by how many dwarven players seem quite happy with this aspect of their roleplay, there must be something to it once you get the hang of it. Hence -- some of your roleplay may take some practice before you get really good at it. Preferably practice done out of the earshot of the rest of the players, if you need a large quantity of it.

Dont's

Curse

The Terms of Service are, indeed, in effect in Neverwinter Nights. Not only that, but many players find vulgarity, profanity, and other such offensive speech to be utterly incompatible with good roleplay. Those that feel that swearing is essential to their roleplay soon learn, however, that this is not the view shared by the Royal Guards (in-game staff), and quickly find themselves personae non grata within the game. (Their access may be removed, if they are unable to adapt to the Terms of Service as applied to Neverwinter Nights).

If you need the crutch of nasty language to indicate that you've an evil temperment, you're just not roleplaying as much as you are looking for an excuse to try to shock and offend others. While you may find that fun, it's really very unrealistic for an evil person to run around cursing and drawing attention to themselves. If you must express displeasure and want to be colorful, go for something creative like... "You son of an ill-fed, unwashed ogre!" It tends to fit a bit better into the conversation and will almost certainly get a reaction.

Pry

Most players are very sensitive about their privacy, and are extremely annoyed when asked questions about their OOC (out of character) lives. Don't ask folks where they live (they're likely to reply "Longsaddle"), or what their "real" names are. Don't ask them how old they are (some may reply that they're well over 2,000 years old). And, don't offer the same information about yourself -- most aren't all that interested, and some will be downright angry with you if you do so.

Intrude

If you stumble across an honest-to-goodness roleplay in progress, it's best if you avoid just diving right in and adding your two cents worth, in many cases. Wait a bit, at least, and try to find out what has already happened, is happening, is going to happen -- then decide whether you're comfortable/interested/able to join in. This common courtesy is greatly appreciated, and ensures that you're much less likely to ruin someone else's roleplay -- something that will also earn you a bit of anger on the part of those affected.

In Closing

Roleplay can be, and is, fun. If you want to chat about music, or dating, or where folks live -- go find a chatroom. There are literally thousands of them on AOL, and you can probably find one where you can talk about literally anything, no matter how obscure. However, Neverwinter Nights is not meant as a chatroom, although chat is an easy thing to do 'round these parts -- so if chat's what you seek, you'll probably find it easier somewhere else.

Even if you aren't that good at roleplaying, you can probably find some enjoyment in the attempt. And, most folks eventually surprise themselves when they try it -- you too may discover that you have much more of a knack for it than you ever thought you would ;)