Art of Role-Play

Art of Role-Play

One of the more interesting things in recent months that I look forward to has been talking and bantering with the cast of Hearthstone Tavern RP podcast. Even though I MC the show, I find the casts’ knowledge and creativity an inspiration. I learn so many things from all of them that I can hardly get through editing without wanting to run out and RP right then and there! The cast members have many more years of experience in role-playing than I do and their contributions and love for the art of role-play is something I try to aspire toward.

Yes, I do think it should be called the “art of role-play.” When I  listen through what Mox, Michael, Ria, Matt, Richard, Harper, and Brent say through writings, discussions, and interviews as well as others of you who blog, I  can’t help but see how truly ‘artful’ it is. There is an art to being able to see and feel a character and bring it to life through interactions with other characters in a MMORPG. There is an art to developing/managing character histories and multiple storylines with others. …And there is an art to playing a gracious hostess or portraying a villain (and still remain friends IRL.)

Looking up just a quick definition, Wikipedia states, “Art is the process or product of deliberately arranging elements in a way that appeals to the senses or emotions. It encompasses a diverse range of human activities, creations, and modes of expression, including music and literature. ”  Through the art of role-play, the players are arranging story elements and characters. This also includes the wide array of activities and expression that are encompassed in story-arcs and biographical backgrounds. Another quick source states that an “art form” is, “The medium or field in which an artist works.”  In a sense, the very nature of portraying a fictional character and writing it (since we use text) makes role-play an art form.

The level of detail that some players go into in order to ensure their character has a rich history and current saga is amazing. There are some truly exceptional writer/RPers out there that can make role-playing appear as graceful as a dance and can do so with the ease of inhaling a breath. The characters they create and play are so well-done the roles are fluid and consistent and you could swear they really were that person. A quick chat “off-stage” later and you know they aren’t, but damn, that was a great RP scene they did! There are times I just stay in the background and watch the events unfold like a drama or stage play. I stand in awe of you.

For the rest of us who are still trying to figure it all out and who aren’t necessarily great writers, we will keep being inspired by you!