Sometimes reality seems too gray and boring, and you want to escape into a fantasy world. This feeling must have happened to everyone at least once. However, there are people who have turned their fantasies and creative energy into a serious hobby. Let's try to figure out who a roleplayer is, what he does and what rules exist in this seemingly easy matter.
Roleplayer - what is it?
Perhaps what a roleplayer means is best described by the representatives of this movement themselves. For them, it is rather a way of life, a way of thinking, than something else. If you ask an avid roleplayer why he is doing this seemingly frivolous business, this person will be very surprised and may even be offended, because for him everything that lives in the imagination is no less real than everyday life.
The main thing that distinguishes true roleplayers is the love of stories, legends and especially reading. But justseeing on the pages what someone else came up with is not enough for them. Gathered together, like-minded people try, if possible, to turn the stories they invented by themselves into reality, to feel like characters.
If you also would like to plunge into the world of fantasy and are wondering "how to become a roleplayer", you need to remember: this is not an easy task and requires a lot of costs (both time and financial resources). If you are not ready to devote yourself entirely to the Game, then you will not be able to become a true roleplayer, but you can at least try to start.
How did the role-playing movement come about?
The movement of role players was born at the end of the USSR. It was 1989, and at one of their congresses, science fiction writers decided to discuss a novel by J. R. R. Tolkien called The Lord of the Rings, still almost unknown to Russians in those days, but cult in the West. The participants of the congress liked this work so much that it was decided to play some events in the book in the form of a costume show.
Writers set to work with all the creativity and energy that comes with people in this profession. The idea turned out to be successful, and therefore it was decided: why not repeat it next year? But the science fiction writers could not stop there, infecting their acquaintances and like-minded people with the idea of playing out book events. So the role-playing movement spread like an avalanche across the country, and its participants began to be called Tolkienists.
If you ask the inhabitants of that time who a role player or Tolkienist is, most of them would twist their finger at their temples and talk aboutstrange young guys running through the forests and groves in incomprehensible clothes and bludgeoning each other with sticks. And the whole point was the widespread poverty of the people and the inability to make high-quality costumes and props. Over time, the situation has changed, and now there are many role-playing clubs in which this fun is taken seriously, even attracting sponsors and professionals (trainers, sewing masters and weapon craftsmen).
Role playing in the field
The first thing that comes to mind when answering the question "who is a roleplayer" is a man in armor / costume of an elf / dwarf / orc / other evil spirits, with a sword or bow in his hands, somewhere in a suburban forest along with like-minded people for a few days playing the role of the selected character. This is what role-playing games started with and what captivates many today.
When you decide to participate in field role-playing, you need to understand very clearly what exactly you are signing up for. Each such game is a whole event, for which you may have to prepare for at least six months. What is worth only the production of a realistic costume that meets the canons of the story being played out (whether it be a fantasy game based on the works of Tolkien, or a reconstruction of real historical events). And if your character is a warrior, then it is advisable to make realistic weapons as well.
Role-playing games are usually held over several days and most often outside the city, so participants need to be able to set aside a certain time for this. Butall costs are compensated by the opportunity to feel like a real participant in the events played out. For the sake of the emotions they get from it, a lot of people are ready to become roleplayers.
Text RPG
It happens that a person does not have the desire or the opportunity to join people who can be described as a “typical role player”, but he would still like to plunge into an imaginary world. With the spread of the Internet, and in particular forums, such couch potatoes have a chance to fulfill their dream.
Forum, or text, role-playing games - this is acting out the selected plot not in a real setting, but in the form of text. The players seem to write their own book, in which each of them is a certain character.
Before the start of the text role-playing, everyone chooses a hero for themselves (existing or their own) and fills out a questionnaire for him (usually it consists of questions about the name, appearance, character of the character and a trial post so that the organizer can assess the potential of the player).
When the roles are distributed, the actual game itself begins. Participants describe the actions of their characters, improvise and interact with other players, move the story forward with their actions. If the plot reaches a tipping point or disputes arise, the organizer directs the situation in a certain direction.
VKontakte Role Playing
Now it is difficult to find a person who has not heard about social networks or is not registered in one of them. In Russia, one of the most common was the platformVKontakte, and the role-playing movement could not ignore this fact.
Who is a VKontakte roleplayer? This is a person who, using a popular social network, is looking for his like-minded people. In any of the many groups, you can throw a cry about finding partners for future games, or just talk to those who do not need to explain what a roleplayer is. You can always have a good time in contact with such people.
Tips for beginners
What to do if you couldn't find a suitable role for yourself, but you want to feel like a hero of a fairy tale? The only way out is to create your own game. This is not difficult if you follow a few tips.
1. Find a source of inspiration. The simplest thing is to reread old classic fairy tales or myths.
2. Give the players a maneuver for action, because role-playing is not a performance, and its beauty is in improvisation. Let the participants agree among themselves, and if disputes arise, act decisively.
3. Come up with unexpected obstacles for the players. Roleplayers are people with imagination, and therefore it will be interesting for them to get out of unexpected situations.
How to make your RPG popular?
So, now that you have figured out who a roleplayer is and come up with a story that you would like to play, you need to get others interested in your idea and support the game as long as possible. How to do it?
1. Find an original story that doesn't have too many role-playing games. Then more players will be able to join you.
2. Give participants the opportunityinvent your own characters. After all, it often happens that the most interesting ones are taken immediately, and no one wants to go to the role of secondary ones.
3. Move the story forward often so the game doesn't turn into a stagnant swamp.
