This article bears reposting from the old site, so here it is (with a few revisons): Enjoy!

You hear a lot of folks say there’s not enough RP going on. The talk of this or that server is “dying” due to lack of RP. You read it on your realm forums, the RP forums and in-game. The “Un-role-playing Rate” is up, and there’s “layoffs” in the RP Community.

Pretty much it’s kinda like a “RP Recession”, yes? …or is it?

Role-playing is a group social activity we do – whether it’s around a table slinging dice or in an mmorpg. Without others, there’s not much to do, right? That is where the “RP Stimulus Package” comes in – to help not only you but your RP Community as well. A collection of things to keep in mind and in perspective.

It also benefits in how we treat others too – being a social activity, it kinda goes hand in hand. In the end, we are all people and we roleplay to have fun.

Many role-players want a “RP Buffet” of sorts – most RP servers are not and cannot be hot and cold running role-play 24/7. Others still want events and role-playing, but really never look, spark or think about how they can add to the role-playing of their server.

Granted, some players do not have time – and that is understandable. Just do your best with the time and opportunity you have. There’s some neat ideas and thoughts ahead that might help.

With that in mind, here’s the RP Stimulus Package:

• Be “fearless” (but don’t be a jerk) in public areas when roleplaying.

• Role-play where you are and as you can.

• Inspire/foster role-playing both in the game and out.

• Be a good example when RPing. Role-players AND Non-roleplayers do notice. You never know!

• Get into your realm’s RP Community. Who are the “RP Community” anyway? That’s YOU and your fellow RPers out there.

• Be a positive influence in your RP Community when you can.

• Help and attend events if you are able to. If you cannot go, spread the word!

• Try to help keep the RP immersion of the realm when able.

• Support efforts by others wishing to help others RP.

• Be supportive of new roleplayers.

• Be kind, respectful and helpful to other roleplayers in your RP community.

• Be kind, respectful and helpful to non-roleplayers, you never know when one of them may want to try to RP.

• Stay away from being elitist or egotistical in talking to other roleplayers. There is a difference between being knowledgeable and being a jerk.

• Be in character, even if you think no one’s watching. You may be surprised who is.

• Remember when you started out and give fellow roleplayers some slack before playing the “YOU ARE DOING IT WRONG!” card.

• Remember that it’s not just about YOU. Share the stage.

• Make connections both ICly and OOCly. More connections = more potential RP opportunites.

• Understand it is ok to make a mistake, we all do it at some point.

• Be open to explaining or helping others learn about roleplaying. If you don’t know an answer, nicely point them to someone or a site that can help.

• Think before we “judge” or be a jerk to other players.

• Spread the word about sites, forums, events and people that can help the RP community. If you won’t tell someone, who will?

• Be flexible in your role-playing, there will be times when you may have to retcon or fudge things.

• Respect the way other people roleplay. There’s no perfectly RIGHT way.

• Remember that just because you may not see role-playing, it doesn’t mean no one is doing it.

• Remember that your realm’s population will ebb and flow during the year (holidays, school, summer vacations, etc.)

• Remember that the pixels have people behind them. And feelings too.

• Roleplay outward and inward. Be out in the field where you are and allow others to enter roleplaying if it’s possible – bring people into your RP when you can.

• Before putting a condemned sign on your realm, see what you can do to help revive RP. You never know unless you look, and in some cases – try.

• Look for the RP, don’t wait for it to find you.

• Don’t see any RP, make it! Random RP can work.

• No events on your realm? Start one! You never know.

• Remember that RP starts where YOU are.

• Never give up.

And yeah, this is not a definitive list by any means – but it’s a bunch of helpful ideas to help bear out the storm when times RP-wise look bleak.

Hope this helps!

** This is a preview and in progress. It is not complete, so bear with me. **

Note: The following is an attempt to maintain a fairly accurate timeline based on the official World of Warcraft fiction* and Story Sections* and what I can parse from the official site. Individual mileage may vary as some as the world and lore evolves. Sadly, this can always fall into the “lolore” category at any time.

I’ve also added the “King’s Calendar” to the most recent years. I think I got my calculations right. :)

Comments!
Comments are most welcome in this. If you do see a mistake – please comment and also give me an official source to make the changes as accurate as I can to help other role-players.

==================================================================

World of Warcraft: | Span of Years
Version 1.0

==== Chapter 1: Mythos ====

A very, very, very, very, long time ago. Really.
The foundations of the universe is formed. The world of Azeroth is created, tested and threatened. The nature-bound Kaldorei, or Night Elves, expand, grow and colonize the world and learn more of the world and it’s secrets, but with restraint. Queen Azshara and her Highborne seek out deeper secrets of the world and discover magic. Though dangerous, they indulge in it’s power.

• The Titans and the Shaping of the Universe
• Sargeras and the Betrayal
• The Old Gods and the Ordering of Azeroth
• Charge of the Dragonflights
• The Waking World and the Well of Eternity

10,000-ish years before Warcraft I – The War of the Ancients
Queen Azshara and the Highborne fall into Sargeras’s sway and brings the corruption of The Burning Legion. Conflict shatters the world as the Well of Eternity impodes, forming The Maelstrom. The Night Elves gain victory at a huge cost. Illidan is imprisoned after trying to “help”.

• The War of the Ancients
• The Sundering of the World
• Mount Hyjal and Illidan’s Gift
• War of the Ancients Trilogy: The Well of Eternity (Richard A. Knaak)
• War of the Ancients Trilogy: The Demon Soul (Richard A. Knaak)
• War of the Ancients Trilogy: The Sundering (Richard A. Knaak)

9,000-ish years before Warcraft I – The World Tree and the Emerald Dream
Nordrassil, The World Tree is created and linked to the Emerald Dream by Ysera of the Green Dragonflight.

• The World Tree and the Emerald Dream

7,300-ish years before Warcraft I – Exile of the High Elves and Aftermath
The Highborne are exiled for their magic use and Tyrande Whisperwind forms The Sentinels to defend their lands.

• Exile of the High Elves
• The Sentinels and the Long Vigil

==== Chapter 2: The New World ====

6,800-ish years before Warcraft I – The Founding of Quel’Thalas
Dath’Remar Sunstrider, the Highborner leader, journeys to the eastern continent and eventually settles his people in Quel’Thalas.

• The Founding of Quel’Thalas

2,800-ish years before Warcraft I – Arathor and the Troll Wars
The human tribes are gathered in Arathor to battle the Amani Trolls and are approaches by nearby Quel’Thalas, who teach them magic.

• Arathor and the Troll Wars

2,700-ish years before Warcraft I – The Guardians of Tirisfal
The High Elves rebuild after the war. The human empires expand to the south and Dalaran is founded. The Burning Legion comes back into play. The secretive Guardians of Tirisfal are formed to defend the lands and corruption of the Legion.

• The Guardians of Tirisfal

2,500-ish years before Warcraft I – Ironforge: The Awakening of the Dwarves
The Earthen awaken, now calling themselves Dwarves, venture from their underground dwellings to the surface.

• Ironforge – The Awakening of the Dwarves

1,200-ish years before Warcraft I – The Seven Kingdoms
The human Strom gathers the city-states together under the Guardian’s watch. Humans encounter Dwarves for the first time and form common bonds.

• The Seven Kingdoms

823-ish years before Warcraft I – Aegwynn and the Dragon Hunt
The female Guardian Aegwynn grows in magical power, battles Sargeras and wins. But at an unforeseen cost.

• Aegwynn and the Dragon Hunt

230-ish years before Warcraft I – War of the Three Hammers
The clans of Bronzebeard, Wildhammer and The Dark Irons ignite a civil war over control of Ironforge. The clans divide, leaving Bronzebeard to Ironforge. The Dark Irons take revenge.

• War of the Three Hammers

45-ish years before Warcraft I – The Last Guardian
Aegwynn gives birth to Medivh in secret against the Guardian’s wishes, but an old enemy knows too well and waits.

• The Last Guardian

==== Chapter 3: The Doom of Draenor ====

Sargeras’s chief chief lieutenant, demon lord Kil’jaeden the Deceiver, discovers Draenor and the Orcs. The Demoic wheels begin the turn, so you know that will not turn out well.

• Kil’jaeden and the Shadow Pact

1 year-ish before Warcraft I – Rise of the Horde
On Draenor, the warlock Gul’dan and his Shadow Council deceive the Orcish clans to demonic corruption. The Horde begin their razing of Draenor, focusing on the Draenei. They become Sargeras’s new weapon to use against Azeroth.

• Rise of the Horde

• (Novel) Rise of the Horde (Christie Golden)

==== Chapter 4: Alliance And Horde (The First War) ====

Year 0 | (592 by the King’s Calendar**) : Warcraft I – Orcs & Humans
Sargeras, through the actions of Medivh and Gul’dan, open The Dark Portal. This allows the corrupted Horde of Draenor to descend upon Azeroth. The First War begins as Stormwind falls.

• The Dark Portal and the Fall of Stormwind
• (PC Game) Warcraft: Orcs & Humans
• (Novel) The Last Guardian (Jeff Grubb)

Year 6 | (598 KC): Warcraft II – Tides of Darkness (The Second War)
The Horde bring the Amani Trolls and Ogres under their banner. The Alliance forces are relocated to Lordaeron, strengthened by the High Elves and Dwarven forces and defend. Inner conflicts within the Horde weaken the forces.

• The Alliance of Lordaeron
• (PC Game) Warcraft 2: Tides of Darkness

Years 8-10 | (600 -602 KC): Warcraft IIx – Beyond the Dark Portal
As the Horde redouble their efforts, the Alliance take the fight into Draenor. The first Lich King, Ner’zhul is created by Kil’jaeden. The Dragonmaw are dealt with at The Battle of Grim Batol, sealing the Horde’s fate and ending their bloodlust.

• The Invasion of Draenor
• The Birth of the Lich King
• Icecrown and the Frozen Throne
• The Battle of Grim Batol
• (PC Game) Warcraft 2X: Beyond the Dark Portal
• (Novel) Day of the Dragon (Richard A. Knaak)

Year 18 | (610 KC): Lord of the Clans
The aftermath of the Second War brings new directions for the Horde in the form of a young orc slave named Thrall. Thrall and the Orcs liberate his people and forms the New Horde, settling in Orgrimmar.

• Lethargy of the Orcs
• The New Horde
• (Novel) Lord of the Clans (Christie Golden)

Year 19 | (611 KC):
The undead Scourge under Ner’zhul gains power in Northrend recruits Kel’Thuzad of the Kirin Tor to bring more into the fold from within. The Alliance nations enter disarray and the High Elves break away, leaving Inforge their only ally. Meanwhile, the death cults of the Cult of the Damned grow in number – giving the Scourge momentum and to their works.

• War of the Spider
• Kel’Thuzad and the Forming of the Scourge/a>
• The Alliance Splinters
• (Novel) Of Blood and Honor (Chris Metzen)

==== Chapter 5: Return of the Burning Legion ====

Year 20 | (612 KC): Warcraft III – Reign of Chaos (The Third War)
The Scourge’s Cult of the Damned release the First Plague upon Lordaeron, creating undead minions from the plagued. The Order of the Silver Hand are called in to help defend, including young Prince Arthas, killing Kel’Thuzad.

Sadly, Arthas falls under the control of The Lich King and leads the Scourge to Lordaeron, killing his father King Terenas. Lordaeron falls. Arthas revives Kel’Thuzad and attacks Quel’Thalas, crushing the grand city. Sylvanas Windrunner, the Ranger-General of Silvermoon falls in it’s defense. She is transformed into a Banshee, under Arthas’s control.

• The Scourge of Lordaeron
• Sunwell – The Fall of Quel’Thalas
• Archimonde’s Return and the Flight to Kalimdor
• The Battle of Mount Hyjal
• (PC Game) Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos

Years 21 -24 | (613-616 KC) – Warcraft III – The Frozen Throne

• The Betrayer Ascendant
• Rise of the Blood Elves
• Civil War in the Plaguelands
• The Lich King Triumphant
• Old Hatreds – The Colonization of Kalimdor
• (PC Game) Warcraft 3x: The Frozen Throne
• The Sunwell Trilogy: Dragon Hunt (Richard A. Knaak & Jae-Hwan Kim)
• The Sunwell Trilogy: Shadows of Ice (Richard A. Knaak & Jae-Hwan Kim)
• The Sunwell Trilogy: Ghostlands (Richard A. Knaak & Jae-Hwan Kim)
• (Novel) Cycle of Hatred (Keith R. A. DeCandido)

==== Chapter 6: The Recent Past ====

Year 25 | (617 KC) – World of Warcraft
An uneasy truce holds the Alliance and Horde from all-out war.

• (PC Game) World of Warcraft

Year 26 | (618 KC) – World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade
The Draenei arrive to Azeroth and the Blood Elves take sides, The Dark Portal opens to Draenor once again.

• (PC Game) World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade

Years 27-31 | (619-623 KC) – World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King
The Lich King, Arthas makes his move upon both Northrend and beyond. Something stirs within the elements and a mysterious movement appears on Azeroth. Something is not quite right.

• (PC Game) World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King
• (Novel) The Shattering: Prelude to Cataclysm

==== Chapter 6: Five? Years After ====

Year 32 | (624 KC) – World of Warcraft: Cataclysm
Five? years after the events surrounding the Lich King in Northrend. The Worgen of Gilneas and the Goblins of Kezan take refuge within the Alliance and Horde after their homelands are decimated. Deathwing wrecks havoc upon Azeroth.

• (PC Game) World of Warcraft: Cataclysm (Christie Golden)
• (Novel) Thrall: Twilight of the Aspects (Christie Golden)

*http://www.wow-europe.com/en/info/story/timeline.html
*http://us.battle.net/wow/en/game/lore/story-so-far/

**King’s Calendar: Calendar system used in Warcraft I & II

One of the things that can get static in-game are the same old skills, powers and abilities we have with a character or class. I was playing one of my alts and I thought, “Let’s spice this up a bit!”.

The basic concept was to take the “standard” abilities and give them a twist for both creative and immersion reasons. I thought it was worth a shot! :)

So, you have Briggs, my frazzled “Gnomish inventor/engineer”… or “Gearsmith” as he prefers to be called.

If my calculations are correct, when this baby hits eighty-eight miles per hour… you’re gonna see some serious #*@$!
- Dr. Emmett Brown

Over the years he’s had many hit or miss inventions that he’s been tweaking and refining since his exile from Gnomeregan when the Trogs and radiation forced him out.

I used the Rogue class for this character due to the “everydayish” quality of the Rogue class. I find it very versatile, like the warrior – for a “everyman” sort of template. Of course, I took Engineering readily for more goodies to make later on.

Here’s an overview of what I did with him:

This is a view of his macro panel after “tinkering” with it a little.

I made custom specific macros for him and replaced them in my action bars. I kept the tooltips visible for ease of remembering – in case I forgot. Hey… it happens! :)

Taking the basic abilities I got at different levels, I came up with ideas for different gadgets, tools and gimmicks to both “rationalize” the Rogue class abilities.

I also picked new icons to help immerse myself into the character – and to give the illusion of playing a “different” class. The “Gearsmith”, for example.

Class-wise, yeah – he’s “still” a Rogue, but I don’t play him like that while in character. He’s just a very crafty inventor, or “Gearsmith” in this case. His gadgets have a heavy steampunkish quality – with a Azeroth/Gnomish Engineering flair.

Take the Cloak macro, for example as a replacement to his Stealth ability. He carries a handheld gadget that when he pushes the button, he’s bending the light around him, based on “highly experimental” mirrored thread in parts of his clothing. It’s very unstable, but it can allow him to sneak in and out of places.

The Boost Boots! macro is a pair of “Rocket Spurs” he has on his boots that allow his to run faster. It replaces the Rogue ability Sprint that makes you run really fast for a few seconds.

Ah! What did I tell you? 88 miles per hour!
The temporal displacement occurred exactly 1:20am
and zero seconds!
- Dr. Emmett Brown

The Melee Accelerant macro is a set of implanted “sequenced melee attack kinetics registors) or “SMAKRs” which puts his melee attack sequences into overdrive. It replaces the Rogue ability Slice and Dice that makes you increase melee attack speed. He just has to build up some kinetic energy (combo points) to activate it.

As you can see, I experimented with many of the Rogue abilities. Basically, he’s pulling a “Batman”, a gadgeteer using a Utility Belt. “Holy Monkey-Wrenches!” - You can also pull a Booster Gold, by “acquiring” tech or magic to help you on your adventures.

Other ideas
His [Mechanical Squirrel] is a portable lab – similar to K-9 from the Doctor Who series. I also use the various goggles for different uses, luckily I got a pair of [Ruby Shades] before they poofed from the vendors. I use those as a “lens” change when I spot something or focus on a area – could use it when I have Longsight using my [Ornate Spyglass] . [The Bright-Eye Goggles] are for studying things. My “normal” specs are the [Gnomish Goggles] or the classic [Flying Tiger Goggles]!

The great thing about this is that it helps get you in character. Get creative with your spells as a Mage, or powers as a Druid. Also for powers as magical items – magical rings, cloaks and offhand items could be a physical focus or representation of an abilty. Fetishes of odd items for Druids and Shaman types as well. Priests and Paladins can use weapons and offhand items to “use” abilites – like for resurrection spells.

Examples (with nods to D&D fans):

• Rings or Cloaks of Invisibility for using Stealth or [Invibility potions]

• Swords of Quickess (+haste “explanation” or use of Slice and Dice)

• Ring of Freedom, Ring of Free Action using [Living Action Potions] or [Free Action Potions]

• Boots of Speed (using Sprint, or [Swiftness Potions])

• Using a Loot Card item from the collectible card game as a prop to do a spell- but that can be expensive.

• An [Aboriginal Rod] can duble as a Voodoo Fetish for a Troll Witchdoctor.

• For Warlocks, Shaman and Shadow Priests a [Laughing Skull Orb] can be a device used for some of the nastier spells.

• Trinkets like the [Rainbow Generator] can also give you a magical spell or device to use.

You get the idea. It adds “flavor” to your adventures and role-playing.

The main things to keep in mind when “tinkering” with your abilities are these:

• Don’t use anything to metagame.

• Don’t God-mode or ruin people’s roleplaying.

• Do be creative and have fun!

• Don’t overdo it or really showy things, use sparingly – spamming an effect is just plain annoying and can disrupt RP in a group.

So it’s all limited to your imagination what props you can use and how you “rationalize” or make them fit the game world and your role-playing. See what’s around in your MMORPG of choice and try to spin it a different way. See what could work for your character and have fun.

I hope this gives you some ideas to use on a character you have or on a future one.

Roads? Where we’re going, we don’t need roads.
- Dr. Emmett Brown

Until next, keep RPing!

The Idea
This a no-frills attempt for new role-players and curious non-role-players to start role-playing with the bare essentials and learn more while blending into a RP server. A scouting mission, of sorts.

Here’s the scenario
Let’s pretend you are not a role-player in a MMORPG like World of Warcraft. You have the basic concept of what role-playing is and want to learn more first-hand. And quickly.

• You’ve heard about RP servers and want to try it out. You have a character and found some people role-playing or maybe you’ve heard about a RP event. Let’s take and look and see what they do!

• Been on a RP server (but not rping) and you want to give it a try. Scouting around on the Server Forums, you hear about a RP event. So why not go and see what’s up?

• Been on a RP server, not RPing and stumbled upon some players walking, carrying on conversations and acting like some of the NPCs in game. They might be Role-Players! (or Giants! – I keed!) Instead of ignoring or avoiding them – why not give it a shot and stick around?

The Challenge
“How can I blend in, have fun and learn – but not look like a total dork doing it?”

Limitations
You have no AddOns and no real experience role-playing. But you are willing to try to learn at least. You don’t have time or know how to make a backstory (yet) or know all the tips (yet). Now what?


The Solution – The RP “Crash Course”

Our example is “Shammygirl”, a low level Draenei shaman. She might fit any of the above scenarios. We want to keep it simple. You can worry about the more intricate stuff later. While the name isn’t very RP-friendly – we’ll deal with it. If she wants to re-roll a RP character or get a name change, we can do that later on.

Ok! We got 30 minutes, so let’s get crackin’!

Basic RP Rules

• “Spec” for Respect. Respect other players and be cool. Do not harass, grief or hurt others, whether they RP or not. Also – respect the Terms of Service and Code of Conduct for the game.

• IC and OOC. IC = In Character (you are acting as your character would. OOC = Out of Character (The player, you. :) Try to stay IC during the event or when RPing in general. Being IC also may bring on some RP from others at random. Also, remember that your character is not you.

• Know when to “exit” If the RP gets weird, I mean really weird – harassment, vulgar, offensive, etc… Just “exit stage right” and get out of there. That’s not the kind of RP you really want, nor is it “normal”. If it’s reportable, do it.

• Don’t force role-playing or actions. Try not to “force” people to role-play with you or force your role-playing on them.

• Have fun. That pretty much sums that up.

• Don’t get derailed by OOC “stuff”. Try to overlook OOC chatter on /say and /yell. Exit from channels (Trade, Defense, General, etc.) that spam stuff that interferes with you being IC.

Character Movement

• Walk or Run? In WoW, you can toggle Run/Walk via the ” / ” key on your number pad, right next to Num Lock. For laptops, quickly set it to a keybind under “Keybindings>Movement Keys”. There ya go!

• When moving, borrow from everyday life. You now when to run and when not too. Apply that to your character. When entering an RP area, switching to walk is a good start. Jumping to move (or for no reason at all) makes no sense, so don’t do it. Move “normaly”, even if it’s virtually. This goes for mounts too!

• Keep your eyes on the “road”. Try not to run “through” other players or ignore them standing there. Respect their “space”.

Speaking in character

• What’s (( )) all about? In WoW, the use of brackets means that it’s out of character talk – the game last night, RL stuff and information. Avoid using this in /say and /yell. Speak like you think your character would, or should.

• Talking the “talk” Speak like you think your character would, or should. You’re not going for an Academy Award, so just do your best. :)

• Stop! Grammar Time! Use full sentences, not slang, texting or similar expressions. (lol, brb, bff, :), etc…) Use similar language and such as the NPCs do, even if it’s plain, simple English. it’s not all “thees and thous”.

• Don’t worry about being fancy. Accents or speech patterns can wait. You just want to be understood and fit in for now.

Emotes

• Expressing Yourself World or Warcraft, like other MMORPGS, have emotes to help your character to express actions and emotions.

• Custom Emotes You can do (but don’t overdo) custom emotes in WoW by using “/e” + your expressed action or emote. Vyssa’s Example: /e looks around. becomes Vyssa looks around. in-game as an emote.

What to wear!?

• The clothes on your back. You do not have to be “dressed” for RP. You can wear what you have, you can be “in fashion” later. If you have what you have, roll with it. Unless it’s a special function, you will fit in fine. While having some “casual clothes” is a nice touch, it can wait.

• Shop the Auction House. Do a quick search for something you can actually wear and afford. Even some low level trash greens can be good.

• Check your vendors. Find the armor, robe and clothing vendors. You might find something cheap and looks neat. You can upgrade later.

The Quickie Backstory

• Keep it simple! Don’t go nuts and be a half-dragon, half-demon, half-weregerbil with fire coming out from your eyeballs. You are also not a diety, or are related or dated any lore character or have them on “speed dial”. Seriously, t’s just not a good plan, trust me on this.

• You got your name, that’s a start. If your name sounds RPish and fits your race (A Draenei shaman named Vyssa, for example), you’re ahead of the game. If it’s not exactly RPish, wing it with a nickname (easy fix is to look at other NPCs of your race and see a quick name you like). “Shammygirl” becomes “Vyssa” if anyone asks, or make it a nickname!

• Go with what “you” know. If you’ve done quests or listened to the introduction for your race – you at least have a basic idea of what is going on with your character. You may not know everything, but you know what your character has done to this point. If you get asked, be as vague as possible – but don’t sound “jerky” about it. :)

• What if they ask me questions? Again, be vague to start, but try to answer it as simply as possible. You know where your character is “from”, your name and what you’ve done and been “recently”. That’s something if you are asked. Oh! Don’t forget your skills or class. They can be helpful in details about your character to start.

• Be the part. As your get out and mingle, interact and all, try your best to get into your character’s head. Even with a simple backstory, you can take what you have and add to your role-playing.

Fitting in

• It can start with “Hello”. Conversations can start very simple. Again, borrow from real life and adapt it to your character.

• You get all kinds. You’re going to meet some great people, others not so much. Welcome to the internet, sadly. Some people RP very gruff characters, that’s their role most times, not them. You will get the hang of who is “ok” and who to exit from as you get more used to role-playing. If you are not sure about someone’s intent – ask via whisper OOCly.

• Save the drama for your momma. Don’t create drama or get into conflicts. Just try to ease in, keep your eyes open, learn and have fun.

• Need something to “talk” about? It’s not all epic stories and such. Even “everyday” chit chat can make decent conversation. See what openings you find and try. With a little imagination and role-playing, even “killing ten rats” can be made into a little adventure on it’s own.

• It’s ok to be “new”. We all start somewhere, so just hang in there – you might have more fun than you thought. We are all people past the pixels. :)

• Don’t be afraid to ask for help. If you don’t know anyone, give someone a nice, quick ((Hi! I’m new, so just trying to learn.)) They might just help and make things easier to let you into the RP.

• Learn by watching, then doing. See what seems to work or not work when watching conversations or in a conversation.

• Don’t be afraid to say “Thank You”. If someone has helped you or you had a good interaction, don’t be afraid to give them a OOC ((Thank you.)) via whisper, or in-game mail.

• Learn by watching, then doing. See what seems to work or not work when watching conversations or in a conversation.

• Mistakes happen, learn from them. A typo, a random jump caused by a errrant space bar, or an accidental “lol” can and may happen. Just take it in stride and try to avoid doing it again. In a conversation and something happens, give a short whisper and say ((hey, sorry about that. :) ))

• Win some… You might fit in and meet a some other role-players, that can help you network and meet others. Make friends and “Friend” others that you had good experiences with or that were helpful.

• …Lose some. Some events or interactions pan out well, others may not. Maybe there was a bunck of people and you were the wallflower. That’s ok – it happens. Just like in everyday life, some times you meet people, sometimes you don’t. Not every RP experience turns out to be as great as it should. Sometimes it takes a few times to get into it all, so just hang in there. Don’t give up!

Afterward

• Developing Your Character. You can take your character and develop more details and a backstory. take a look through The RP Survival Guide and see how it can help you. There’s a lot of helpful ideas and tips to help.

• You have options. You can always start a fresh character or rework and existing one with a backstory and go from there as well. Names can always be changed and low levels can always be re-rolled. You can always transfer as well if you like.

• Your RP Community! Seek out your server’s Role-Playing Coummnity via the forums or if they have a wiki or social site dedicated to Role-Players on your server. Make friends, learn and have fun.

For Horde and Forsaken RP, there has been a really good update to the Ruins of Lordaeron, specifically the expanded Courtyard area.

When Cataclysm started, they revamped the Ruins around the main courtyard. Previously, your RP are was limited on the surface. The only door into the new expanded courtyard was blocked, so unless you were summoned or flew in… you’d never see it. So for pre-60′s, you were out of luck. Until now!

See Figure “A“. Keep “B” for later – I’ll get to that! :)

The Expanded Courtyard!

Just recently they “blew” the door open, so you can walk in and explore the new digs. It’s got some neat areas for role-playing ideas. Forsaken marketplace, events – even Warstuff/Apothecary Society RP. You will notice NPCs like Undead Citizens hanging out and the Kor’kron Guard patrolling the area.

Here’s some shots, but take a look for yourself in-game.

There’s some real nice areas inside. Recently, the “Kosh’harg, Gathering of the Clans” event was held there on Earthen Ring. Was a fun night!

The “Secret” Passage!

With the new, it’s time to mention the old. That’s the “B” – The secret passage!

This passage exits on both sides of the old courtyard. This has been around since retail and often gets overlooked. Here’s a teaser of what’s lies ahead:

There’s more down there, go see for yourself! :)

Lot’s of ideas here for role-playing, both in the new and old courtyard. Might be worth checking out!

Back in January and June 2011, the World of Warcraft’s Creative Development (CDev) team had a series of Q&A’s about World of Warcraft’s storylines and lore. Since some people are “forum challenged” or perhaps did not know about this, I’m going to post a few parts that are generally player RP relevant. The threads are a good read, with more information to dig into than what I have here – so give it a look if you’re curious. :)

This is Part Two.

Note: Remember that some of this information can still be labeled OOCly only, so be responsible on how you use it. What you “know” may be completely different to what your character “knows”.

For those curious about the Story Forum:
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/1011638/

The CDev threads are here:
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/1008430853
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/2721372142

Now, for the Q&A’s:

Information from the Warcraft and World of Warcraft RPGs

Player Question: Are the Warcraft and World of Warcraft RPG books considered canon?

CDev Answer: No. The RPG books were created to provide an engaging table-top role-playing experience, which sometimes required diverging from the established video game canon. Blizzard helped generate a great deal of the content within the RPG books, so there will be times when ideas from the RPG will make their way into the game and official lore, but you are much better off considering the RPG books non-canonical unless otherwise stated.

Titans on Azeroth

Player Question: Have we seen a true titan yet in World of Warcraft?

CDev Answer: A: No, only their creations.

An Emerald Dream < ---> Loa Connection

Player Question: What is the relationship between the Ancients of the Emerald Dream and the loa?

CDev Answer: Troll druids visiting the Moonglade have been overheard calling the wisps who reside there loa, just as they refer to Goldrinn, Aviana, and the other returned Ancients as loa. Night elves and tauren have tried to counsel these trolls on “correct” druidic nomenclature, but the trolls thus far have been stuck in their ways.

Troll Regeneration

Player Question: If trolls are able to regenerate their limbs, why didn’t Zul’jin’s arm grow back?

CDev Answer: For the most part, it is the speed at which trolls regenerate that makes them formidable foes. When in balance with the loa of their tribe, they are also able to regrow digits (fingers and toes). Tales abound in troll culture, however, of those blessed by the loa with extraordinary regenerative abilities, such as the ability to regrow limbs and even vital organs lost in battle. The tale of Vula’jin the Void speaks of how he regrew almost his entire body after standing in a pool of shadowflame. But just as the loa can bless, they can also curse; troll children are taught legends of those cursed by the loa, unable to heal even flesh wounds, to instill the proper respect for their patron spirits.

Beings before the Titans on Azeroth

Player Question: What races were on Azeroth before the coming of the titans?

CDev Answer: Besides the elementals, the only known sentient races on Azeroth when the titans’ forces arrived to subdue the Old Gods were the trolls, the race known as “faceless ones,” and the aqir.

Due to the Old Gods’ war against the titans, as well as the extensive terraforming that followed the war’s conclusion, records of what races existed before even the Old Gods’ arrival have likely been lost forever.

The Argent Crusade’s view of the Forsaken and Sylvanas since WOTLK

Player Question: What is the Argent Crusade’s relationship with the Forsaken, in light of Sylvanas’s recent actions?

CDev Answer: Although the members of the Argent Crusade still stand by the Forsaken heroes who joined them in the battle against the Scourge, Sylvanas’s actions since the slaying of Arthas have deeply concerned the crusaders. They, along with certain members of the Ebon Blade, are now watching Sylvanas and the Forsaken very closely, as similarities between her and the Lich King are increasing in number by the day.

The Forsaken “Fleet”

Player Question: The Forsaken don’t have a harbor or any dry docks: how do they create their ships?

CDev Answer: The Forsaken navy is composed of ships dredged up from the bottom of the ocean. Most of them were once among Lordaeron’s fleets.

Undead/Forsaken and The Light, Part 2

Player Question 1: When undead use or are healed by the Holy Light, does it cause them any actual damage or harm, or does it only cause them pain (in addition to the intended effects of the spell)?

CDev Answer 1: Channeling the Light in any way, or receiving healing from the Light, only causes pain. Forsaken priests do not disintegrate or explode from channeling the Light for an extended period of time… though they may wish they would.


Player Question 2: Are there long-term effects on an undead who is in regular contact with the Holy Light in a positive way?

CDev Answer 2: It is difficult to say, as there are no known records of undead wielding the Holy Light before the Third War. There are reports, however, that some Forsaken have slowly experienced a sharpening of their dulled senses of touch, smell, etc., as well as an increase in the flashes of positive emotions that have otherwise become so rare since their fall into undeath.

Unfortunately, this may be the cause of the Forsaken priesthood’s increased attempts at self-destruction; regaining these senses would force the priests to smell their own rotting flesh, taste the decay in their mouths and throats, and even feel the maggots burrowing within their bodies.

Worgen and the Forsaken

Player Question: Why are humans who drink the blood of worgen unable to be raised as Forsaken?

CDev Answer: Not only are the Val’kyr less powerful than the Lich King when it comes to raising the undead, but the worgen curse also makes raising them into undeath far more difficult than it is for normal humans.

The worgen curse has roots in both the Emerald Dream (through the wolf Ancient, Goldrinn) and the holy power of the goddess Elune. In addition, those worgen who imbibe the waters of Tal’doren – through the ritual they undergo to maintain balance between the worgen curse and their humanity – have a further resistance to the corruption of undeath.

Blood Elf Death Knights and Magic Addiction

Player Question: Are Blood Elf Death Knights still afflicted by their racial addiction to magic?

CDev Answer: No, though their new addiction, the one all Ebon Blade death knights possess, is arguably worse: the need to inflict pain. If death knights do not regularly inflict agony upon another creature, they begin to suffer wracking pains that could drive them into a mindless, blood-seeking hysteria—a far worse fate than that of those who suffer from arcane withdrawal.

Blood Elves view of the returning Highborne (NE Mages)

Player Question: How have the blood elves reacted to the Highborne’s return to night elf society, heralding the return of kaldorei magi?

CDev Answer: Because their expulsion from night elf society after the War of the Ancients was due to their use of arcane magic, the blood elves were outraged to hear that the kaldorei had welcomed the Highborne back and were tolerating the practice of arcane magic again.

After witnessing the “rookie” mistakes made by the new kaldorei magi, however, the blood elves are anxiously awaiting whatever mess the kaldorei are going to put themselves in. What’s more, some sin’dorei have been able to exploit the kaldorei’s inexperience in order to rout Alliance forces, as seen in the “Amberwind’s Journal” quest series in Azshara.

Blood Elf eye color since Burning Crusade

Player Question: Why do Blood Elves still have green eyes?

CDev Answer: Corruption from fel energies takes a long time to wear off. It’s why most orcs are still green even though Mannoroth is dead.

Elemental Lords

Player Question: Were there ever different elemental lords before the current four?

CDev Answer: Ragnaros (fire), Al’Akir (air), Therazane (earth), and Neptulon (water) are the only elemental rulers Azeroth has had in its existence. What this will mean for the elements of fire and air with the deaths of their elemental lords is unknown, but it most certainly is not good.

Gnomish Priests

Player Question: Why are gnomes suddenly interested in the Light?

CDev Answer: The gnomes have had an interest in the Light since they joined the Alliance, but they were so focused on technology and, later, the retaking of Gnomeregan that studying the Light didn’t feel necessary to them; the dwarven priests and paladins of Ironforge served as the only connection to the Light they needed.

Now that the gnomes have reclaimed a foothold in Gnomeregan and begun rebuilding their culture outside of Ironforge, however, they’ve recognized the importance of having followers of the Light in their own ranks. In addition, researching new methods of purifying irradiated gnomes has led to radical advances in Light-based technology!

Elune = Naaru?

Player Question: Is Elune a Naaru?

CDev Answer: During a recent visit to Darnassus by Velen, he explained that the kaldorei’s description of Elune, as well as the demonstrated powers of the goddess, matched his experiences with powerful naaru.

He began to offer advice regarding how to commune with powerful naaru, but Tyrande thanked him for his opinion, then cordially requested that he refrain from making such outlandish claims when in Darnassus or in the presence of Elune’s priesthood..

Back in January and June 2011, the World of Warcraft’s Creative Development (CDev) team had a series of Q&A’s about World of Warcraft’s storylines and lore. Since some people are “forum challenged” or perhaps did not know about this, I’m going to post a few parts that are generally player RP relevant. The threads are a good read, with more information to dig into than what I have here – so give it a look if you’re curious. :)

This is Part One.

Note: Remember that some of this information can still be labeled OOCly only, so be responsible on how you use it. What you “know” may be completely different to what your character “knows”.

For those curious about the Story Forum:
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/1011638/

The CDev threads are here:
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/1008430853
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/2721372142

Now, for the Q&A’s:

Silvermoon’s Blood Knights, since the Burning Crusade

Player Question: The Blood Knights of Silvermoon lack direction. None of them were seen in Northrend, and it is very unclear whether the Order still exists, or if it’s been disbanded. It’s also very unclear where the Blood Knights obtain their power, now. It used to be the Naaru, but then… remnants of the naaru. Surely these remnants are all but tapped now. Do we obtain power from the Sunwell?

CDev Answer: As of the end of the Burning Crusade expansion, blood elves who wield the Light do so through the power of the renewed Sunwell. It is a harmonious relationship, no longer one of discord caused by the blood elves’ attempts to bend the Light to their will, which will likely have a positive effect on blood elf society in the long run. Look forward to updates that reflect this change in the Silvermoon and Blood Knight quests.

Darkspear Loas
More information regarding Loas here: http://www.wowpedia.org/Loa

Player Question: What Loa do the Darkspear worship?

CDev Answer: Because the Darkspear were originally part of the Gurubashi empire, they still worship many of the same Loa as the Gurubashi once did.

Goblin Shamans Lore

Player Question: Could you please explain the lore behind goblin shamans? Goblins do not seem like a particularly spiritual race, especially one that would care about the elements (as evidenced by the Venture Co.).

CDev Answer: Goblin shaman are an extension of their society’s single-minded devotion to making a profit; to a goblin shaman, elementals are potential customers.

Goblins do tend to be a bit more forceful in their negotiations than the other shamanic races (especially the tauren) would like, though they are far less forceful than what we’ve seen from the taunka in Northrend. (Unless the elemental tries to weasel out of its contract. Elementals tend not to have breakable knees, so goblins sometimes have to resort to other methods of control.)

As for the goblins’ “mechanical” totems, note that these are merely physical manifestations of the small totems they tinker/craft to form a link with the elemental spirits. Instead of lugging around large totems, goblin shaman have a ring (probably the same ring on which they keep their house and motorbike keys) with small totems they’ve built as conduits for the elemental spirits they do business with.

Warlocks and Incubi

Player Question: Do incubi exist? (Male Counterparts to the Warlock’s Succubi http://www.wowpedia.org/Succubus)

CDev Answer: There are several different rumors concerning the male counterparts to the demonic succubus race, and it’s clear that the succubi are responsible for all of them. A few of the more common rumors are:

1. Yes, there are incubi, but the spell to summon them has been conveniently forgotten by mortal practitioners and Burning Legion agents.
2. Incubi are kept as slaves on their home planet, having been rendered incapable of escape or independent movement.
3. The succubi consumed the males of their race when they were brought into the Burning Legion. (Alternatively, the act of devouring the males is what caught the attention of the Burning Legion.)

Undead and the Light

Player Question: Can you please explain how “light” works? The lore states that undead are physically incapable of using the light, much like the Broken, but then we have Forsaken players casting healing spells, and Sir Zeliek in Naxxramas using pseudo-paladin abilities.

CDev Answer: Without spoiling too much, we can tell you that wielding the Light is a matter of having willpower or faith in one’s own ability to do it. That’s why there are evil paladins (for example, the Scarlet Crusade and Arthas before he took up Frostmourne).

For the undead (and Forsaken), this requires such a great deal of willpower that it is exceedingly rare, especially since it is self-destructive. When undead channel the Light, it feels (to them) as if their entire bodies are being consumed in righteous fire.

Forsaken healed by the Light (whether the healer is Forsaken or not) are effectively cauterized by the effect: sure, the wound is healed, but the healing effect is cripplingly painful. Thus, Forsaken priests are beings of unwavering willpower; Forsaken (and death knight) tanks suffer nobly when they have priest and paladin healers in the group; and Sir Zeliek REALLY hates himself.

This sort of snuck past me this in World of Warcraft’s 4.1 or 4.2 patch. The new awesome /read emote. Normally, you can use the emote when checking your in-game mail or your in-game map. When using the in-game map, you may not be able to see (or appreciate) the animation or anything.

The animation is simple, a map materializes into your character’s hand and unrolls it, studying it earnestly. When done, your character rolls it back and it vanishes. It’s also cool for RP use.

Recently I was told (Thanks Uinen!) that the emote also works anywhere when using the /read emote. Nice!

So, being the enterprising role-player that I am – I make a macro and slapped it on my action bar. Never know when it’ll be handy!

Click once to bring it out, then again to get rid of it. Done!

Bonus!
While it is a a “silent” emote (No emoted action text or verbal), we can add a little spice to it with the same base macro with the help of a custom emote added to it:

Base Macro:
/read

The “Spicier” Macro:
/read
/e studies the parchment for a moment.

Result:
The /read emote goes off, then the custom emote, “Shaw studies the parchment for a moment.”

Now… if you press it again, it will end the animation, but still fire off the custom emote. :( So, it was off to find a solution.

After some unsuccessful macro research, I opted for the simple solution. Two macros.

One being the original macro, the other the spiced up version. Use the “Spicer” Macro that you can change the custom emote to to open the scroll, then the Base Macro to close it. Not as graceful as I hoped, but it works! :)

I dubbed them Read and No Read in my Macro UI.

Now, if they would do the same type of thing with a book… :)

So, what do you all think? Awesome, meh or otherwise?

You know? Low “Elf” Esteem? :)

That feeling of shyness/fear/anxiety sometimes when playing online with others? Perhaps LARPing or even at the table with others? It’s very similar to what you may feel in everyday life. Shyness is what it is, regardless.

All joking aside, this does effect role-players and in real life. Some adapt, role-play and go with the flow ICly. Some folks tend to be wallflowers, others pretty much recluses. To those that like to role-play but still feel awkward or downright uncomfortable in some social situations – it’s a pain and can be frustrating.

You would think having an avatar in a mmorpg would give people a better “shield” towards this, but it is still is a problem for some just like in real life. Trying to stay IC (in-character) dealing with shyness can conflict.

Let’s say you want to play an outgoing character or personality but you still struggle with pulling it off? Or you really don’t want to “lock up” ICly in a scene or conversation? What do you do? Maybe you don’t have a problem with it – but maybe someone else you game with has L.E.E.?

We all potentially have some issues with L.E.E. at times, just that some folks have it harder than others. Some of it is simple fear that causes it. The fear of saying/doing something “wrong” or screwing up a good interaction. In some RP areas, as in everyday life, you can be in that situation. Perhaps it’s a struggle on what to say or how, whether it’s in real life or with your avatar in game.

Sadly, some role-playing groups and servers and forums can very well “breed” that sort of feeling, intentionally or not. Some folks put a value or weight on how “good” one’s RP is and generalizes/judges thereafter. Cliques form and sometimes it becomes elitist.

Not only does that hurt newcomers to RP that would like to try – it also stagnates and damages the Role-Playing Community as a whole. It also feeds into the RPer vs Non-RPer conflict, being a no win for either group.

Criticism is cool, being a jerk isn’t. Help, but don’t harm is a good rule of thumb.

Some people get that, others sadly don’t. We are all part of our RP Community in our gaming groups, rp forums, LARP troupes, and RP servers – whether we think about it not. We are in a general sense in this thing together.

For those that deal with times of shyness, I understand completely – I get like that too at times along with some of my friends I RP with. It happens. :) Sometimes everything is going good, then wham!

Here’s some ideas to help combat L.E.E. :

• Realize that you (and your role-playing) have value. Self worth is an important key, as it does in “Everyday Life” – and it’s also true. Everyone has something to offer! Just stay IC and understand you do not have to “prove” anything. However, that should not compromise being respectful to others and role-playing responsibly.

• Try to separate your avatar from “You”. You are not your character, but you are role-playing his/her interactions.

• Understand that no one is perfect. We all have good and bad points, hopefully most lean toward the good ones. Do your best and roll with the punches. No one hits a home run every time at bat.

• Do your best, and don’t beat yourself up if things don’t go as planned. Even if it didn’t go well – you tried! Apply that also when others make mistakes. Give them a little grace and be supportive if that door opens.

• Help those along that may have the same problem. Support with friends can be very helpful. Remember where you were when you started, especially with new role-players. Thank people OOCly for their time or if they did a great job.

• Don’t be afraid to start up a conversation or enter an existing one. Look for an “in” and add to the moment. Keep some ideas written down or in your head on how your character would say and do things and expand from there. Starting sooner is easier than later but gauge the group and conversation. Hovering around can work, but folks may think you’re a stalker. Just kiddin’!

• Take small steps towards being more “outgoing” with your character and his/her mindset and backstory.

• Stay calm and don’t try to do too much too soon. Ease into your RP and have fun… that’s why you are playing.
  Some people see shyness as being “stuck up” or “cold”. Be aware of that and don’t be afraid to tell folks if you think maybe it’s an issue.

• Location is a key element. Around the mailboxes, vendors and auction houses may or may not be the best placed to start a conversation as some folks are AFK or focusing on mail or items. Just keep that in mind but keep your eyes open.

• The mob scene: This is a gathering of several folks in one area role-playing. Even with experienced RPers, it’s a mad house of trying to keep conversations going, keeping track of them and making sure no one gets lost. (No RP’ers left Behind! :) Understand it’s easy to lose a conversation or accidentally get ignored. Have patience and don’t get discouraged.

• Remember that Shyness takes time to work through. Also, finding friends, guildmates and other support can help make the process smoother and less daunting over time.

That’s some good ideas to work with role-playing or in real life. We all suffer from one form or another of “L.E.E.”, so hopefully this may help. And remember – Don’t give up!

Take care and keep RPing!

I’ve added some new Sections to The RP Survival Guide and some other goodies:

Using the Guide:
http://rpmadesimple.com/the-rp-survival-guide/using-the-guide/

RP Burnout:
http://rpmadesimple.com/the-rp-survival-guide/rp-burnout/

Names (WoW):
http://rpmadesimple.com/the-rp-survival-guide/rping-in-mmorpgs/names-wow/

RPing Combat
http://rpmadesimple.com/the-rp-survival-guide/rping-in-mmorpgs/rping-combat/

I’ve added a cute lil 404 page!
http://rpmadesimple.com/404.php
Hopefully you’ll never need to see it, but it’s fun to look at :)

I’ve also tweaked and revised the layout of pages to be more organized for readers.

Oh! I updated the ancient FaceBook page for RP Made Simple:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/RP-Made-Simple/78121060826

I also have updated my Twitter page:
http://twitter.com/#!/RPmadesimple

More to come, so stay tuned!