THe Elusive 30 - Tips on getting that 30 RPR rating

[Irongron]

In light of the recent 30 RPR requirement addition, I thought I'd post something helpful here about how to achieve the rating.

This is really just my opinion, and I'm sure there are ways to get it that I haven't even imagined. Still, I hope this helps.

Second disclaimer; it is often pointed out that DMs can find it hard to spot and reward great RP, obviously I'd like a serious effort by the team to deal more dynamically with RPR ratings, but even so it can take a while to reach it. Anyway, here are the tips...

1. Roleplay for others, not only oneself.

This for me is the most important one. Players that allow themselves to move the story of other characters forward, rather than making themselves the protagonist of any event.

2. Arrange Events

Get some of the server population together for some kind of event. This shouldn't be done regularly, but its a nice way to get noticed, and to provide some serious enjoyment for the playerbase. In the past player hosted events have been some of the most enjoyable moment in Arelith.

3. No need to be so uber.

This isn't about the character build, but the RP. Having general flaws to your character, or even ignorance can be a quick way to stand out of the crowd.

4. Lay off the tells/Skpe chat.

You may not notice this yourself, but it is very noticable on how your character behaves. Standing silent for a long time, and not really having your mind on the surrounding role-play. RP flourishes when it flows, and it doesn't flow when a player is doing something OOC at the same time.

5. Give everyone a chance.

Having some OOC dislike for another player based upon what you've read or heard is not a good way to play. People will surprise you, and your role-play will benefit from not being influenced by OOC considerations.

6. Reach Out.

Similar to the last point. Really engage with other characters you see, and leave the comfort zone of your chosen RP buddies. You'll meet new people, get in unforeseen situations, and generally be noticed, which itself is the key factor of having your rp 'spotted' by a dm.

7. Roleplay out those dungeon crawls.

This is good not just for RP rating, but also having some serious fun when playing. A DM is far more likely to run an off-the-cuff event for parties they see really engaged with their environment, you're also more likely to get involved in their ongoing quests. Once again, this gets you noticed by DMs.

8. Don't build a fixture palace.

It can be over-bearing and forceful, and done badly it can look just terrible. It's okay from time to time, but don't make it the primary focus of your RP.

9. Craft, sell and describe interesting objects.

Be a merchant to remember, once again the aim here is to get noticed? Being less generic is therefore pretty key.

10. Play a Gnome.

Okay, not quite serious with this one, but it does have a point. It can difficult for DMS to pick out a PC who looks and acts like every other PC. The less powerful and attractive races are by their very nature uncommon, and therefore noticable.

11. Be patient.

12. Be even more patient.

[Convention of Blades]

Instructions unclear, got RPR reduction.

[Nathan Brack]

So, never role play while adventuring to avoid a dm spawning tons of creatures on you, killing you, then (the worst part) saying sorry and giving you an ooc rez?

Got it.

On a serious note, it's nice to have a guide, but I don't know why someone would want to change how they play. I have fun with my X rpr, and I don't think i would have anymore fun with a higher one.

That said, these are tried and true methods of making RP more fun for you overall, which is it's own reward

[Cortex]

is rpr becoming a thing again

[Irongron]

is rpr becoming a thing again

Well it always was, but I guess since the RPR races were removed there was less reason to aim for it.

I like the RPR system on Arelith, though am not currently planning to do more with it, it is just that I know some people were hoping to get that raise in the rating and believed a post on the subject would maybe help out.

[Cortex]

Call cynical, but this would be better titled as a Good RPer Guide .

[Peppermint]

Peppermint's 30 RPR guide:

1. Play for fun.
2. Don't diminish the fun of others.
3. Ignore that silly RPR thing, it's just a largely arbitrary number, and your fun should matter far more than that anyway.

I suppose it sounds silly, but honestly, for those of you that do care (though why would you care?), there's some truthiness in it all: it's pretty obvious when you're just trying to perform, whereas fun is infectious and will maybe, possibly even get you noticed.

[ComeBackToMe]

can we stick to rpb pls

[Kuma]

role play rating rating

[RamblerTeo]

role play rating rating

rprr

[Grunf]

Irongron. how to get RPR 40? If I learn anything in life its aim for more to get something

[Irongron]

That I don't know, at least for certain.

Personally, some years ago, I did achieve a 40 RPR, but lost it again around a year or so later. At the time I was playing a character who was heavily involved in server events/story, but was also ultimately fallible.

The truth is I'm really far from one of the best role-players on the server, and I know both Artos and I were frequently impresssed by Arelith's finest, and saw their role-play far superior to our own.

Building the world doesn't mean that we're the best at playing in it, and for me at least, the greatest inspiration to build for Arelith is witnessing the role-play that happens there.

Ultimately it is up to the DM team to decide who gets what rating, and each new team may have a slightly different vision.

[Twily]

I was talking with a dm once and as a joke said you get rpr 40 by playing too much and being crazy. They did elaborate though. Any of this may be wrong or outdated, but its what I was told by the dm at the time.

Everything rpr 30 requires, but to a near flawless extreme. If nothing but immersive fun for all is left in your wake no matter the situation, you're on a good track. As an example that I'd always like to see more of, trying to work with and convert the bad guy instead of killing him.

Your character basically has to be like someone who is literally real. If you have low con, you can't run far distances. If you're low dex you might find yourself emoting that you trip or accidentally drop stuff. If you're out in the wilderness you wouldn't run left and right without a reason even if you're alone

Think of it like the restrictions a dm would give your character if you were playing a PnP game. Occasionally flexing these if it creates great stories or plots for both yourself and other players is fine though, the goal is to have fun rping.

What I was told is rprs take progressively more dms to award so that favoritism isn't an issue. This is why they joked by saying playing too much, and why I stress always staying in character. You'd need multiple dms to notice you and agree with you getting a 40. So always bring your A game if that's your goal

As a closing note, this isn't required to play on the server, and if you wouldn't have fun playing in this manner that's fine. Xp all balances out in the end, and it's debatable that high rpr people, especially 40s get less xp anyways. 20 is easy to get no matter your play style(unless you're a hardcore grinder), and 30 is in reach of most as well if you partake in factions. The best thing is to not worry about rpr and just enjoy the server.

[Mithreas]

There's no one true way to get a 40. But if you want tips, here are mine. There are really two aspects to it.

The first is around immersion ("role"). A 40 RPR player plays their character as part of the world, rather than playing to the implied rules of the simulation that we're in. An example would be playing without regard to xp gains (or loot, for characters where it isn't appropriate). And obviously, the character needs to seem real, with its own strengths and weaknesses. This is really just an extension of the 10/20/30 progression in RP quality - the character is entirely plausible.

The second is around the impact you have on others ("player"). Irongron hit many of the recommendations under his guide above, but while stepping up and creating a faction, leading it and driving stories is a good way to get noticed for a 30, 40s will often be the people playing support characters to the leader, helping make the faction successful without necessarily being the one in the spotlight. That's not always the case (you can get a 40 while leading a faction, if you do so in a way that consistently pushes the spotlight to others) but it happens pretty often. A 40 player consistently brings out the best of those around them, helping advance the stories of others in small ways and large.

[The Pretty Prince of Parties]

Irongron hit many of the recommendations under his guide above, but while stepping up and creating a faction, leading it and driving stories is a good way to get noticed for a 30, 40s will often be the people playing support characters to the leader, helping make the faction successful without necessarily being the one in the spotlight.

This was actually the only piece of advice I really planned on giving people looking to improve their own RP - the quality of my own RP, and the level of fun I was having, spiked sharply upwards when I finally let go of the need to have the limelight and took on a more strictly supporting role a few years back.

I strongly encourage people to try it sometime, if it's not something they're used to doing; you'd be surprised the way your own character's story progresses and develops when you let go of the reins and start helping driving other characters along, and allowing them to push you as well.

[Mithreas]

I had the exact same experience.

Playing and going "what is this person's story? How can I help them further it?" is actually a really fun way to play. It can be as simple as letting them be the badass they want to be (losing to them in PvP, letting them get most of the kills on an adventure), as simple as being an ear to let them bring out their life story, or as complex as finding the right antagonist role that they can bounce off of.

[Daedin]

I have not been the most active or productive player in the past couple of years, despite varied attempts to get back into the flow of the server, but here is my contribution, which will echo some things already mentioned before.

The less you care about rpr (or even xp in general), the easier and faster it will come to you. That, at least, was my experience with it.And speaking of experience, it might give some insight into how things work, if I say how I progressed throughout the years:

I went from 0rpr to 10, and then to 20, within the first..four months or so of playing on Arelith. It was a steep learning curve, and I made many mistakes back then,but I do believe that the simple fact that I was activly trying to learn, fit in, and immerse myself in the world, helped a lot. Also, I had a lot more free time to play and,thus, be noticed.

(I still remember being bumped to a 10 after the Snowyellow DM Quest, and to a 20 after running away, screaming, from a dracolich)

I stayed at 20 for around two years and a half to three. Then one day, out of the bloom, I got a bump to 30. I was never told (nor asked), exactly why I was getting the raise, but looking back, I can only surmise that it was because I was leading a mini-faction of sorts, and devoting most of my time trying to make it as much fun as possible to all others within that group, and those we interacted with.

Also, throughout that time, I "farmed" increasingly less, up to not at all, unless it made sense, because I was too busy having fun with everything else. Consequently, I learned that the value of xp and mechanical power was far less than what I originaly thought it to be.


Then I believe I stayed at 30rpr for some..three more years? Three and a half perhaps. And then one day, I get very sudden bump to a 40rpr. At a time when I was playing a character that had very loose ties with settlements or factions. At the same time, it was likely the most relaxed period I have ever had playing Arelith. Doing it for nothing other than pure fun and love for the game. And I guess that showed.


And here is the funny thing: my rpr increased paralel to my focus on roleplay, immersion, and a "carefree" attitude towards the more mechanical progression of it. At the same time, having a 40 rpr just bolstered all of those things.

More than a reward, a 30 or a 40 Roleplay Rating (specialy if coupled with a MoD), is a great way to encourage us to stay on a certain path (the one that took us there in the first place). And it sure does make a big difference when you no longer have it.

[Mr_Rieper]

I'm not really sure on the higher RPR ranks, I'm only a 20 myself, but I found this video and I think it's a good guide to getting to a solid 20 and enjoying yourself on the server.

TEDxVictoria - Dave Morris: The Way of Improvisation - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUO-pWJ0riQ

I was doing research to perfect my bard RP and wanted to find a few fun improv games to loosen things up when I stumbled across this. But then I realised, we're all improvisers on the server. We, as players, not just our characters. This is an important distinction, because our characters will not always say yes, but we - as players - should. Don't be afraid of mistakes in your RP, truly listen to everything that's going on around your character, and say yes to RP. Even the Play the Game rule is important, because you should have fun but your character should also make sense in Forgotten Realms terms. Having a believable character that abides by the "rules" makes things fun and interesting for everybody.

I personally think every single person who plays on this server should watch that video. Definitely not a waste of time.

[Seven Sons of Sin]

I have the two rules of thumbs on the 'meta' level of roleplay, because I have two thumbs - I think they've served me well.

1. Play a character who always asks.

2. Play a character who always ensures you've included as many characters as you can.

It echoes previous sentiment. Some of the best characters are the ones who ask you questions, because it immediately places focus on the other, on you - not them. And some of the best characters are one's who never actually tangibly do anything because they're too busy going around and talking to people and 'delegating' to them - because they're asking them, because they're putting focus on them.

When it comes to the 'art' of roleplay, I don't think there's any right way to go about it. I fully 100% endorse people who carbon copy to such a brilliant height. I fully support people who make ironic characters that are perhaps 'too' contemporary. I support those 'background' characters; I support foreground characters. One's who are silly, comedic and a staple of good-times; and the srs bsns slavedrivers (not necessarily literally) who pour a tireless environmental aestheticism that makes them feel like a part of the world. I like characters who brood; those who don't. Who play to win, and who bend to the enemy. Characters with lots of emotes; characters with none. Characters with the not-so-original background, and those who are so off-beat you spend hours on FR Wiki trying to exactly figure out what they could be alluding to.

So much when it comes to the 'art' of the actual in-game roleplay. I don't think there's a simple way to go about. I think a lot of the more objective, "learn"-able qualities are on the OOC level - the approach to the gameworld itself.

[Marsi]

Everything rpr 30 requires, but to a near flawless extreme. [...]

Your character basically has to be like someone who is literally real. If you have low con, you can't run far distances. If you're low dex you might find yourself emoting that you trip or accidentally drop stuff. If you're out in the wilderness you wouldn't run left and right without a reason even if you're alone

This isn't entirely accurate. I found something common among all 40 RPRs I had the pleasure of playing alongside -- they didn't sweat the small stuff and were more concerned with big ideas.

[Rattus_norvegicus99]

And stop running everywhere. Nobody in the real world runs everywhere. Immersion!

I was fortunate enough, when I first started on Arelith some 9 years ago, to meet two extremely amazing rpers and I found the more I did what they did, in the fashion they did it, the higher my RPR went. I should also add that both players were very inclusive - going out of their way to help, making their characters believable, laughing at themselves at times, taking time to explain things IC, when OOC was easier.

If you want a better RPR, I suggest finding someone with a high one and shadowing them some, or better yet, friending them. Look at your RP from someone else's view point - say a DM. Ask yourself - if I was a DM, would my character look interesting? Would my character be generating RP? Would my character stand out?

[Yma23]

I have three rules for roleplay which I find serve me well.

1) Have fun.
2) Try to make fun for others or, at the least, don't take away from their fun.
3: Play your character

Try to do all, or at the very least two out of three, of the above in all you do, and things tend to go well.

Also - I find it helps if you try to be trusting. Sometimes we get worried about people metagaming us, or being selfish, or being insta killed... try to play like you have full faith in the rp quality of those around you as much as possible. Sometimes you will get burned, but you'll also honestly be shocked by how much that faith is rewarded.
And try to inspire people with your actions, not sink down to their actions. Sometimes I hear the phrase 'Well, everyone does it!' to excuse bad behavior. Or 'Well X did it!' yes, but that doesn't mean you should do it. 'Everyone' doing a bad thing because someone else did a bad thing results in a fairly awful server. But if you rise above that, and try to act fair, kind, and fun way - then maybe it'll inspire others to do the same.

For me 40 rprs tend to be people who ignore that this is a game entirely and, in addition to doing all the 30 rpr stuff, they very much act like they are a character who is in a fantasy world, making not just the character come to life, not just those around them come to life, but the world come to life. Reguardless of the chances of any ooc success, they'll do it anyway because well.. it's fun and good story.

Let's use a Witch Hunter example
10 rpr- Plays A Witch Hunter and that's about it. Nothing much more
20 RPR- Plays a well rounded character who is a Witch Hunter. But is unlikely to bend their rp to make things much fun for any Warlocks they meet. They're often more interested in the story of Their Character rather than continuing the stories of others (e.g. the Witches)
30 RPR- Is more likely to do the above, and also make sure that the Warlocks on the other side are having a good time. He/she won't just 'kill/exile the Warlock, but will think up unique punishments or ways out to continue the story. They'll be concerned not only that they have fun chasing down Warlocks, but that if possible the Warlock players have fun too. Their character will have definate weaknesses that can be exploited, and they're not afraid of loosing aswell as winning.
40 RPR- A 40 RPR Witch Hunter might go around checking those they susspect for any reasons by seeing ifthey have moles. Or if cats like them. Or if they bleed when pricked by a pin. All of which will in no way prove that they are a warlock mechanicaly, and may land him/her into some trouble, but would none the less be something the character firmly beleaves in. 40 rpr characters are not afraid to be wrong, stupid, or cowardly, and use that to make fun plotlines. Also they'll do all of the above, and agood deal of the things suggested too. Including others. Aiding them in their stories. Et cetera, et cetera.

So thats my thoghts.

[Xarge VI]

What Yma said! But I feel like rambling about empowering the world around you.

You can empower or belittle the world around your character with every action the character takes, the way your character sees the world and acts in it.

Trying to ignore the facts that you've seen your enemies and friends resurrect after being beheaded, you can kill a dragon with your little finger, devils and demons can not hit through your ac etc and acting like a person would in face of an age old monster that wants to kill you and eat your soul empowers the world, even if it makes your character look ignorant compared to the party.

Same goes with conflict with PCs. Your character is only as badass as the characters around you view him/her.

For example your 25 level Weaponmaster walks down the road from Cordor to the Arcane tower, and comes across a PC bandit, pointing a heavy crossbow at your character.
Now you've a choice. It's a crossbow lol, you're a WM and you've got almost 400 hps! You've slain dragons etc. One strike and he's dead. It's perfectly reasonable to act that way, but it doesn't empower the situation.

Instead if you act like it's a huge damn crossbow pointed at your face, and maybe even let the bandit win leads to a more impactful story. Later you can gather your friends and find the bandit for some field-justice. The low level bandit's player is likely prepared to get his butt kicked, but he's doing it anyway. Character doesn't need to be high level to enter conflict, the player just needs to be able to loose and let it impact the story.

The more seriously your character takes the world around him/her the more serious reactions they receive.. Atleast from those that take the world seriously.

Basicly it's a two way road, you may have a powerful warrior. But you don't decide his/hers badassery level, your warriors enemies do.

[DestroyerOTN]

I'mma bite in at this.

RPR is, as so many people have said above, something that doesn't and shouldn't really 'matter' simply for what it is. It's something which judges you, subjectively, from DM team to DM team; and it's dynamic for just that reason - because with your own improvement or the change of teams, it simply 'comes when it does'.

If you're doing something that's 'obviously' wrong, sure; feel free to make amends to your behaviors to more suit the intent of the server - but in general, if you're playing to the server's image, creating fun for others, minimizing your gross destruction of immersion in plots, and including those beyond yourself? The level your RPR is at isn't important.

It's a bit more meaningful now again, seeing as it has mechanical purpose in the form of -ECL. Still, keep in mind the counterbalance this is intended to act as; since those with a higher RPR are likely to travel less overall.


Let's not forget one other thing: RPR isn't a judge of you as a player. It's not even a judge of your RP; despite there being a 'correlation' between quality and rating, typically. Stath will readily point out, as he did in the circle grind script thread, that he spent a set period of time literally spewing memes and circle grinding, and he possesses a 30 even now(?). Likewise, leading a faction hasn't pushed me above a twenty (but 'has' been fun~). As far as I can tell; here's no 'single' way to get there, nor to keep it.

So - in short; have fun with the game, rather than worrying about your RPR. If the team thinks what you're doing deserves it? You'll get it. If not? The changes you need may be far outside your play style anyway!

Keep your head high, and certainly try to improve as a player, but there's more to Arelith than a few numbers.

[Dalenger]

A bit off topic: But I'd be really interested in a breakdown (percentage wise) of the player base between the RPR levels. The more I hear, the less and less people who I thought had 30 don't... must be more rare than I thought. Is that something possible, or would a DM be able to give a rough estimate?