The information on this page is not a substitute for the rules! Be sure to read those too.
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Even if you’ve never RPed before, it’s easy enough to start. RP is a little blend of storytelling, acting, and improv. Your character is no longer a little video game character, but an approximation of a real life person, and it’s your job to imagine how that person would act in various "real-life" circumstances.
You should view your character through the lens of real life actions. Are they talking to other characters like a normal person would, or are they leaping into a group and barking like a hyena and expecting other characters to be chill with it? Do they have complicated feelings about the apocalypse and the world to come, or are they a badass no-feelings zombie-killing Rambo that’s here to strike down every NPC they see (because the Storytelling Team loves that, right)?
More importantly, your RP character isn’t you. Though we all put a little of ourselves into our characters, making a self-insert character is the fastest way to become upset the second something bad happens to your character. Try to view your character objectively, and allow obstacles to be to be an opportunity for growth, instead of freaking out when things don’t go according to plan.
RP is a lot like real life. You won’t click with everybody, and not everybody will click with you. Your character’s personality often has little bearing on how interesting they are to interact with; rather, it depends on how dynamic you are, and how much you are engaging the other player. A grumpy, evil, introverted, or shy character can still form connections if you put them out there as an active scene partner. Taking interest in other characters, instead of only seeking to show off your own, will help you form connections.
That said, definitely don’t skimp on the personality! Give your character goals and ambitions and interests. Experiment with giving them views that may be different than yours, and thoughts and feelings that might seem illogical to you. Make them a little flawed, the way all humans are.
Lastly, the quickest way to become bored on the server is to play a god. Making a character who is already badass is far less exciting than a character who grows gradually to badassery. This server is not meant to be hard, because you’re meant to create your own challenges as an RPer, to make a story interesting. If you rely only on the game mechanics to keep your character down you’ll soon find yourself with no conflict at all.
The fun part about roleplaying, instead of just writing your own book, is that other players bring an element of chaos to the mix! But that means that the other people involved might not do things you want them to do. It can be hard to relinquish some elements of control in a situation where a lot of other people are involved, but spontaneity and improv is the name of the game in RP.
Roleplay is best when it is done collaboratively, not to “win.” We’re all telling a story together, even if the characters are miserable (misery is good for them).
When you plan to do a scene with another player that is potentially tense or uncomfortable, RP Planning Tickets are your friends. They are found in the Create a Ticket channel and are private spaces for you and anyone you personally add to the ticket, to discuss how a scene should go down and see if there are any boundaries that would make someone unhappy.
By the very nature of RP you will at some point have something happen to your character that was not pre-planned and you are not happy about. Maybe you were robbed. Maybe another character is spreading lies about your character. Maybe someone was dating your character and decided to end it. These things can be emotionally taxing, but it’s important to remember that things that happen in character should stay in character.
Wasteland has a very basic alignment system at play. When you are new to the server, you will notice that you only have the ability to play Peaceful and Typical characters to start, and that you are not able to select the Violent alignment right off the bat.
In order to be approved to play a Violent character, you will need to take a quiz in Discord to make sure that you understand what playing a violent character entails, and to make sure you understand how to play an antagonistic character effectively, to make sure a scene is fun for everyone.
Of course, Violent characters don't have to be villains. Sometimes, good people will use violence to further their goals. To help make sense of the alignments, here is a breakdown:
Peaceful characters are more peaceful than your average person. They will go out of their way to avoid violence, either because of a personal morality that is important to them... or just because they're cowardly. Peaceful characters don't have to be good-- it's very possible that a manipulative, scheming, villainous character may still abhor violence just as much as a strong pacifist. Peaceful characters may use violence as a very last resort in self-defense or defense of their loved ones, but they should not lightly brush off what they have done when it's over.
Typical characters are your average person. They will use violence in self-defense or to protect their loved ones, take up arms if they are pushed to the brink, or occasionally get mad enough to get into a fight. However, violence isn't fun to them, and they shouldn't jump headfirst into using violence in situations where they could navigate the situation in other ways, like talking things out first. Most humans exist here; most people "don't want trouble", but will engage in trouble if they absolutely must. If you would kill a person for killing your loved one, you probably exist here; if you would go to great lengths to hunt them and their friends down and brutally torture them before you kill them, you might exist in Violent.
Violent characters are more violent than your average person, and primarily deal with their problems with violence. They're much more likely to escalate a situation, get into brawls, or use physical force to get what they want. Violent characters can range from mouthy bastards who can't resist riling people up at the bar, to highwaymen who wave a gun around and will shoot if goods aren't handed over, to your most sadistic gang members and killers. You don't have to be evil to be Violent-- you can be a heavily disassociating ex-military person who will "do what needs to be done" for those who can't stomach taking up a gun, or a mask-wearing vigilante seeking to bring about justice in the world.
To be approved to play a Violent character, make a Violent Character Approval Ticket on Discord. If you're unsure whether your character concept would be violent, open a ticket and ask!