Role Playing (RPing) - Beginners Guide for Rift

[Slipmat]

It's something i don't take much notice of but Rift player Margot has started a new video series called 'Lets RP in Rift!' which should give anyone (even me) an idea of what's involved and how much work and care these players put into it.

First video is about the Rift Wardrobe system and how it affects your character's background story and role-play scenarios, also learned a new term i never heard before, a 'Mary Sue' which is apparently your char's RP story and background you allow other RP'ers to see.

[Soluna]

I don't think that the term 'Mary Sue' means 'the background you allow others to see'. It's reflects more creating a godlike being, perfect from top to toes character without flaws. In other words, a boring character that only kids (or really bad writers) come up with.

Here is an example of a Mary Sue character:

Dante is 20 years old. He is the most powerful and gifted prodigy of his clan. His intellect is unmatched just as much as his colossal strength. He also has an affinity for magic and all of its elements. He is smart, cunning and the serious type who gets all the ladies. Did I mention ladies? Oh yeah, cause everywhere he goes, a harem is following him. Everyone loves him, and he loves everyone, he ALWAYS makes the right decisions and you can always rely on him. He will NEVER let you down. He has also fought countless armies on his own, seized castles, defended against sieges, and fought against 3 dragons all by his own.

That's a Mary Sue I'd say. Some ppl go even further than that.

[Eleccybubb]

I don't think that the term 'Mary Sue' means 'the background you allow others to see'. It's reflects more creating a godlike being, perfect from top to toes character without flaws. In other words, a boring character that only kids (or really bad writers) come up with.

Here is an example of a Mary Sue character:

Dante is 20 years old. He is the most powerful and gifted prodigy of his clan. His intellect is unmatched just as much as his colossal strength. He also has an affinity for magic and all of its elements. He is smart, cunning and the serious type who gets all the ladies. Did I mention ladies? Oh yeah, cause everywhere he goes, a harem is following him. Everyone loves him, and he loves everyone, he ALWAYS makes the right decisions and you can always rely on him. He will NEVER let you down. He has also fought countless armies on his own, seized castles, defended against sieges, and fought against 3 dragons all by his own.

That's a Mary Sue I'd say. Some ppl go even further than that.

Pretty much this. Mary Sues are the most boring kind of RP backgrounds you can create and in NPCs most of the time shows lack of creativity from writers.

Basically Mary Sues are supposed to be a kind of perfect and amazing character and that's why half the time they are so poorly written.

[Slipmat]

Well the more you know...thanks for the explanations behind 'Mary Sues', like i said, never even heard that term before.

Anyhow, part three of Rift Role Player Margot's series is out and this time they show off a Community Event they staged with Gladiator type duels called a 'Primus'

If you're wondering where in the game you can find this Gladiator Arena, it's entirely player built in somebody's Dimension (player housing) which offers all RP'ers a chance to design and build their own scenarios and places to Role Play, another advantage is they can control who gets invited so any chance of griefers, trolls and non RP'ers is eliminated.