Role playing as a skill

[boulet]

I'm curious to know what is your attitude toward role playing. The question is for players and GMs alike. What I want to know for instance is(but not limited to) :

• Does it come easy ?
• Do you make voices ?
• Are you using first person or third person when discussing what your characters do or say ?
• Do you exercize it?
• Do you look for inspiration actively ?
• What could you do to improve it ?

[hippie_mama]

Does it come easy ?
Very.

Do you make voices ?
No. But i mostly play-by-chat. Real-life groups cause panic attacks, so still no. I feel "silly."

Are you using first person or third person when discussing what your characters do or say ?
Depends if we are currently in-character or not.

Do you exercize it?
As in do i use my role-playing skill? Well, i game daily.

Do you find inspiration actively ?
For my characters? Yes. Otherwise you're just waiting for the GM to bring you something.

What could you do to improve it ?
My own skill? Practice makes perfect, as they say. I could use some exposure to new systems.

[tesral]

I'm curious to know what is your attitude toward role playing. The question is for players and GMs alike. What I want to know for instance is(but not limited to) :

• Does it come easy ?

For me yes. It doesn't come easlily to everyone. Some people are not comfortable outsdie their own skin. I activly enjoy trying to get into a different head, to enspoue views I myself would never hold, and to do so in such a way people believe it.

• Do you make voices ?

Yes, I find it helps to get the NPC across to the players. I don't "make voices" for my PCs. But I'll change my speaking cadeince the tenor of my voice to make one NPC different from another. I'll pull my glasses down, wave a pencil (wand) around or in general act like a total fool.

• Are you using first person or third person when discussing what your characters do or say ?

First person is prefered. I fall into third person sometimes, but I try to avoid it.

• Do you exercize it?

Every time I play.

• Do you find inspiration actively ?

I don't quite understand the question. Ideas are where you find them.

• What could you do to improve it ?

Hard to say. I don't claim to be the perfect role-player, but there are no objective role-playing standards one can measure ones self against. I'm having fun. I think that is enough. It's not a public performance, I'm not being judged on it.

[cplmac]

[quote=boulet;25710]I'm curious to know what is your attitude toward role playing. The question is for players and GMs alike. What I want to know for instance is(but not limited to) :

• Does it come easy ?

Yes, for the most part.

• Do you make voices ?

Only if the situation has a need for it.

• Are you using first person or third person when discussing what your characters do or say ?

Usually first.

• Do you exercize it?

No, usually we are sitting down. Kind of hard to play when people are jogging or doing other vigorous activities.

• Do you look for inspiration actively ?

Not usually, it sometimes just presents itself when least expected.

• What could you do to improve it ?

Get to spend a week to pick tesral's brain. Unfortunately, that would probably only scratch the surface of his knowledge.

[nijineko]

I'm curious to know what is your attitude toward role playing. The question is for players and GMs alike. What I want to know for instance is(but not limited to) :

• Does it come easy ?
• Do you make voices ?
• Are you using first person or third person when discussing what your characters do or say ?
• Do you exercize it?
• Do you look for inspiration actively ?
• What could you do to improve it ?

easy? yes.

voices? occasionally, but usually only as gm, and only for specific characters for whom i don't mind being stuck forever trying to recall that exact voice and using it time and again.

1st? 3rd? yes and yes. i usually manage to stay in character unless it's something that i myself would not do, in which case i wind up switching to 3rd.

exercise? certainly. rp is great for job interviews. ^^ one job, i was hired specifically because i did so well in the 'roleplay with different "customers" in different situation' part of the interview. =D

inspiration? life is inspiration.

improve? it's all about the skills. especially knowledge checks. ;D

[boulet]

No, usually we are sitting down. Kind of hard to play when people are jogging or doing other vigorous activities.

I didn't mean physical exercise you bunch of goofballs

I meant like actor studio or "let's pretend we're Dustin Hoffman" kind of exercise ! Any theater anyone ?

[tesral]

I didn't mean physical exercise you bunch of goofballs

I meant like actor studio or "let's pretend we're Dustin Hoffman" kind of exercise ! Any theater anyone ?

I've been in one, several times.

[MortonStromgal]

Does it come easy ? no, takes some work

Do you make voices ? yes, some more successful than others

Are you using first person or third person when discussing what your characters do or say ? I try to stay in character as much as possible

Do you exercize it? I have, especially voices similar to my own. They are hard for me to mimic. Its much easier for me to mimic something really out there.

Do you look for inspiration actively ? I always look for voices I like in films and video games so I can learn to mimic them.

What could you do to improve it ? have less cliche female voices. All my female voices sound like a guy trying to do a girl.

[boulet]

have less cliche female voices. All my female voices sound like a guy trying to do a girl.

Most of you seem to consider third person description as the thing to avoid. But for instance role playing the opposite sex is a real challenge and I consider that third person in that case could help a lot. It could be seen through the RPG theory prism too : third person can be affiliated to the Narrative side of the GNS model. I've yet to meet a GM who's using third person only, but I know many who don't even try to do funky voices (like say orc voice).

My religion isn't set on this matter. Sometimes I don't care of the ridicule of imitating voices. Other days I'd rather focus on descriptions instead of acting. If the tone is comedy obviously the first works better than the latter.

[cplmac]

I didn't mean physical exercise you bunch of goofballs

I meant like actor studio or "let's pretend we're Dustin Hoffman" kind of exercise ! Any theater anyone ?

In that case, I would have to agree with tesral and say, "every time we play."

[boulet]

In that case, I would have to agree with tesral and say, "every time we play."

I can't disagree with that. Practice makes perfect. On the other hand if you have someone tape you while role playing someday I bet you will see many many things that you could improve and didn't realize by just playing.

[cplmac]

I can't disagree with that. Practice makes perfect. On the other hand if you have someone tape you while role playing someday I bet you will see many many things that you could improve and didn't realize by just playing.

Never thought of taping the sessions. That would also help in not having to take alot of notes so that not to forget improvised information. Thanks for the idea.

[jade von delioch]

• Does it come easy ?

I guess so. I ways have had a very active imagination and as an artist- creating whole worlds was not far from easy for me.

• Do you make voices ?

sometimes, depending on the character.

• Are you using first person or third person when discussing what your characters do or say ?

This too depends on what is happening. If i feeling like rationalizing my character out loud so the GM understands why I'm doing what I'm doing then i use third person.. Most of the time its first person though.

• Do you exercize it?

I'm not sure what you mean here.

• Do you look for inspiration actively ?

Yes, always. i find even the most common ethical issues inspirational.

• What could you do to improve it ?

Play Play Play.. Practice makes perfect, as the saying goes. You could read all the advice on role playing better and other such things, but when it really comes down to it is to forget your comfort zone and just play when ever you can. I was once in 3 different games a week.

[hippie_mama]

Just a note on imitating female voices: instead of trying to speak in a *higher* tone, try a *softer* one.

[tesral]

I can't disagree with that. Practice makes perfect. On the other hand if you have someone tape you while role playing someday I bet you will see many many things that you could improve and didn't realize by just playing.

I would have to kill them to prevet blackmail, and the rest of the group would help hide the body.