((The RP XP with MJ #26))

The Padawan Tarik strained himself to the point of a splitting headache, reaching out with the Force to see if the young Rattataki woman next to him was true to her word.

Is there such a thing as atonement or regret among the Sith, or was this a ploy?

“You can turn off the sensor beam into my soul, Zabrak. By now you know I’m telling you the truth. Don’t overdo it.”

Tarik glanced over his shoulder at the covered body of his master as the speeder made a sharp turn. Then he looked at Veetha.

“Don’t talk to me, Sith. I’ll do the talking.”

A smile curled over Veetha’s black lips. After a moment of silence, she said, “That’ll make it hard for me to answer questions, you know.”

“I don’t understand,” he said. “You could’ve killed me and you didn’t. Why?”

“A good question that I already answered. Try another.”

“Try answering it again — and make sense of it this time!”

Veetha smiled at him. “The reason I am accompanying you on the return of your master’s corpse is because I wish to help the Republic.”

Tarik huffed. “Help the Republic? Why?”

“I have my reasons.”

He glanced at her as the speeder slowed its descent toward a secret Jedi enclave on Coruscant. “You said you’d answer my questions.”

“That was an answer, Tarik.”

Tarik gasped. “How did you know my name? I never told you.”

Veetha smiled. “Now that, my friend, is a good question.”

–

Recently, a friend and fellow guildmate announced that he had “trashed” all his mid-level characters to start them over again. Naturally, for someone like me who scrapes and claws to find any game time at all — let alone RP time within the game time — I was aghast. Not to mention the notion of “rebooting” RP with a possibly radical characterization. I had to ask… WHY!?

I could see his reasoning once he explained the situation, but it still seemed like a bummer to me. And that got me to thinking. What if you spend a lot of time building up a character, their characterization and RPability, leveling them throughout the mobs and stories and quests of the game, only to find you’ve hit a wall well before level 50?

WHY RESPEC

There are two generalities I could come up with that would explain a need to completely respec a character you use for RP. The first is that you simply don’t like the class. That was the reason my guildmate wanted to change. He had an RP character in mind, a voice he liked for a Jedi Consular, but found out somewhere mid-Taris that it just wasn’t working for him. Sure, he may have an RP voice in mind that transcends the “hunting for a cure” / “compassionately forgiving” nature of the Consular, but let’s face it: there’s a lot of work that goes into leveling and grinding your gear and appearance before you can settle into structuring your RP. You really need to be sure before hitting that DELETE CHARACTER button that there’s no way to redeem the virtual personality you’ve constructed.

The other possibility behind the sudden desire to respec is that you’re hitting roadblocks in your RP, that you feel you’ve hit a wall with their story or personality and you just see no way out of it. Maybe the other characters around you within your RP circles aren’t really in tune with your character. You’re thinking “permadeath” — but WAIT! Before you throw your Sith Lord on their lightsaber, let’s look at some ways to salvage your character.

WHAT DID I DO WRONG?

If you’re at an RP roadblock because it seems no one wants to RP with you, don’t be so quick to blame your character. Maybe it’s you as the RolePlayer. If no one comes out and says, “((I just don’t see how my character and yours would get along. My character is suspicious of Jedi)),” then it may be something other than virtual-skin deep. Is it possible you’re being shunned because you stepped out of character too much, took your character too seriously, didn’t communicate or godmodded?

If all your RP partners are up front about what they don’t like, you can change (if, that is, you want to continue to RP with them; otherwise, there’s no problem with abandoning that group and finding another who appreciates you). Or, if it’s character related, you can adapt. If you play a Jedi and all your partners claim to be suspicious or distrusting of Jedi, invite them to bring that up in-character to give your character a chance to defend himself. Maybe your Jedi can show them he’s not that uncomfortable memory from their past that gives them the predisposition against Jedi. Maybe you can co-write a story that allows your Jedi to save one of them, find a lost artifact, or in some other way show them he’s not all bad.

If the apparent alienation of your characters doesn’t seem to be character-related, consider the simple possibility that you simply don’t mesh with the rest of the group. Consider moving on, or start small. Find an independent lone RPer willing to work on a personal scenario with you.

In either case, DO NOT respec the character. It’s a natural part of life (virtual or otherwise) to expect a segment of society to not gel with you so well. Don’t change your character’s personality to fit what they want. If you’d rather not go the, “Let’s sit down and talk about why you (fear/hate/shun/abandon…) me,” move on. And if you personally don’t click with the clique, don’t waste your time. Take your characters and find another group — or start your own.

I JUST DON’T LIKE MYSELF

What if everything is fine and dandy with your RP group but you’re just not “feelin’ it” anymore? What if you come across a Bounty Hunter with a really cool way of acting that inspires you and makes you want to emulate it? What if you see a character in a movie or from a book that you can see as your character in the game? What if that dry, humorless persona you thought would be perfect for a Sith Warrior is just plain boring?

Don’t lose faith. There are ways to fix all that without resorting to a respec.

PEOPLE CHANGE

Addicts overcome addiction all the time. Overweight people change their lifestyles and become thin. Shy, timid people come out of their shell. Jerks turn over a new leaf and make amends for past wrongdoings.

You can change your character using the same principle as a “life-changing moment” in real life without deleting and re-building her. Just give some thought to why and how some people change. Google “Overcoming addiction” and you’ll find nearly four million entries. Do you know someone who lost a lot of weight, turned over a new leaf or gave up smoking or drugs? Take a page from real life and apply it to your character.

Epiphany is the easiest tool to use for a character change without respec and it doesn’t take much preparation or build-up. Someone who is a jerk or overly boisterous could suddenly tone down because they witnessed something that showed them the error of their ways, or maybe they recently underwent a traumatic ordeal that gave them a glimpse of a horrible future if they didn’t change who they were. The easy part about epiphany is that you don’t have to “act it out.” One day another character will say, “You’ve changed. What happened?” and you can tell them the story of how you saved a child from the jaws of a rancor and it just made you all warm and fuzzy like an ewok.

It can be a little more difficult if you’re dealing with the stonewalling opinions of other characters. If someone says, “I’m suspicious of Jedi,” there’s nothing you can do without their input. Either in- or out-of character, they have to volunteer a reason for the suspicion before you can present a change they’ll accept. Have a long chat OOCly and get to the root cause of their suspicion.

WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS

Respec. But consider this: if you plan to continue RPing with the same people, even if they know why you’re reinventing the same character OOCly, you’ll need a solid plan to explain why Jeroff the Jedi is now Jeroff the Smuggler. If he’s essentially the same character, consider that you’ll have to RP him as a “former Jedi” with all that it entails (including Force abilities that you’ll “hide” or otherwise “lost” because of amnesia or some kind of accident or attack).

Have you ever “re-rolled” a character in an MMO for RP reasons? Have you ever worked through it and came out an even better RolePlayer for the experience? Have you ever played a character with an epiphany and changed their characterization mid-stream. Let’s hear about it.

((The RP XP with MJ)) appears right here on swtor-life.com every Friday. MJ is a long-time RolePlayer with decades of experience as a DM/Host as well a player. You can contact him directly with questions or column ideas by writing to swtorliferp(at)gmail.com. You can follow him on Twitter @MJswtor.

Tags: respec, roleplaying, RP, RP XP with MJ

((The RP XP with MJ #25))

Yulel slowly lifted her head and tried to open her eyes, but something was wrapped tightly around her eyes and pinching her lekku to the back of her head. A blindfold.

She didn’t remember much beyond running and gunning. That damn Gand pilot had dropped her right in the middle of a separatist hot zone and she paid the price…

By running into a tree when she was firing back over her shoulder.

Well, at least they didn’t kill me, the young Twi’lek smuggler smirked to herself.

Her eyes useless, she tried her other senses. She heard the low hum of a generator behind her, the high-pitched whine of a repulsorlift on a speeder hovering just outside the room where she was held. The echo of the speeder through the wall gave her the impression that she was inside a garage of some sort, possibly a side office.

The air smelled of sea spray and engine oil with a slight tang of electrical ozone from separatist forcefields. “Mannett Point,” she smirked again. “Figures.”

In-game emotes can be fun (/bow, /clubdance, /golfclap) or they can be over-the-top (/blush, /laugh, /flirt), but however you view them and use them in your RolePlay, they only cover one fifth of the whole picture. And barely even that much.

One of my favorite tips for fiction writers also holds true for RP scenarios. Never neglect your senses. A great way out of the corner you’ve written yourself into is to consider something beyond sight and sound and delve into a more textural experience. Utilizing your senses plays pretty big with me. You may recall I actually worked them into character creation in RPXPMJ #2.

So, let’s take a look at different tips and ideas for melding the five senses into your RP.

“YOUR EYES CAN DECEIVE YOU. DON’T TRUST THEM.”

Sure, you can use emotes for visual clues, but I’d advise against overdoing them. Waving, bowing and shrugging are good standards, but don’t over-do your visual cues by “blushing,” “flirting,” or “coughing” every five minutes.

Remember that RP is a written art form that relies as much on description as it does dialogue. Think of the things your character would be doing with their hands or facial expressions that don’t have emotes.

For example:

ARNISS: You don’t have the missing motivator, do you?

CRYTHO: *Stares down at his feet* No, I told you I don’t have it.

ARNISS: Something tells me you’re not being truthful, old buddy.

In this example the character Crytho directs his character’s vision in such a way that it gives Arniss the clue that he’s not being completely honest. Not only that, but imagine the same scene without the exposition about what Crytho was looking at. Without it he sounds almost angry and confrontational.

Remember to describe your lines of sight if they differ from eye-to-eye contact. There can be important tells in those visual cues. Let’s look at a different example that actually draws the eyes of another character.

SYLIA: *Runs her finger down the plunging open neck of her tunic* Do you really have to leave so soon, captain?

CRYTHO: *Shakes off the daydream as he stares at her cleavage* Me? No. What? Where were we?

In this case, Sylia’s flirtatious finger dancing drew Crytho’s eyes down and invited a nice tension-breaking comedic moment.

When drawing upon visual metaphor or simile, remember where you are. Sure “As big as a house” is an accurate way to describe something, and it fits, but “as big as a bantha” calls up a Star Wars image that’s recognizable to any fan. Don’t say things like “My speeder is faster than a Ferrari.”

What’s a Ferrari?

“THAT’S THE SOUND OF A THOUSAND TERRIBLE THINGS HEADED THIS WAY.”

Did you ever email or text someone and forget to take CAPS off? They told you to stop yelling, didn’t they?

Since spoken word in RP is typed, you have to use clever typographical tricks to get your point across. For example, I’ll bet you can guess which character is yelling in this example:

CRYTHO: Why are you looking at me like that?

ARNISS: BECAUSE I KNOW WHAT YOU DID WITH THAT MOTIVATOR! YOU GAVE IT TO SYLIA!

Depending on what you’re saying and the tone you want to convey, you can simply over-use punctuation (it may not be proper English, but it’s cool in RP). Let’s look at the same conversation but make a couple subtle changes:

CRYTHO: Why are you looking at me like that!!!??

ARNISS: Because…… I know what you did with that motivator…. You gave it to… Sylia.

Now it’s Crytho who’s angry and Arniss is being defensive. See how it changes the “sound” of the dialogue?

Here are some other examples of audio cues you can play with in your RP:

RAYNOS: *Tries to ignite his lightsaber but it only makes a clicking noise*

SYLIA: Someone forgot to install the igniter, or is it the focus ring?

RAYNOS: *click-click-click*

SYLIA: Well, stop doing that before you break it! Wow! How did you ever get to be her Padawan?

ARNISS: *Presses an ear to the bulkhead* Can you hear that?

CRYTHO: *Presses his ear to the same wall* Mmm. ((What do I hear?))

ARNISS: ((A dull hum and hissing like from a broken machine))

CRYTHO: Sounds like you got something busted in there, my friend.

Notice the ((Out of Character)) indicator to clarify the sound in the scene. If it won’t spoil anything, you can spell that out for your RP partner in your establishing dialogue:

ARNISS: *Presses an ear to the bulkhead* Can you hear that? ((If you listen, you’ll hear humming and hissing))

CRYTHO: *Listens at the wall* Man, that sounds bad.

ARNISS: See what I mean!

“WHAT AN INCREDIBLE SMELL YOU’VE DISCOVERED.”

SYLIA: Have you been aboard the bounty hunter’s ship?

ARNISS: Only once. It smelled like rotten meat and dead things.

SYLIA: Have you been aboard the bounty hunter’s ship?

ARNISS: Only once. It smelled like sweat and cheap perfume.

SYLIA: Have you been aboard the bounty hunter’s ship?

ARNISS: Only once. It smelled like gun oil and fresh paint.

In the three examples above, which bounty hunter loans his ship out as a brothel? Which one doesn’t jettison the bodies of his victims? Which one is organized and probably anal-retentive about his work?

They say that the sense of smell is one of the most powerful of the senses. I’d say it’s probably the most powerful sense. Have you ever come across an aroma that reminded you of something you thought you’d forgotten? Home cooking? The perfume of an old girlfriend? The electrical snap of ozone that reminds you of your old train set?

Whenever possible, be sure to include odors and aromas in your exposition, especially if you’re hosting an RP event and painting the picture for other players. In the following example, which smuggler’s hideout probably includes a smuggler still at home?

1) The foyer is narrow and cluttered with boxes. A Duros blaster rifle hangs on the wall next to a rancor claw mounted on a plaque. The track lighting is dim and smudged though it’s bright enough to see. The hum of the hideout’s generator comes from a back room.

2) The foyer is narrow and cluttered with boxes. A Duros blaster rifle hangs on the wall next to a rancor claw mounted on a plaque. The track lighting is dim and smudged though it’s bright enough to see. The aroma of Alderranian stew still hangs heavily in the air.

It’s kind of a trick question, but if you think about it you’ll see that the description that includes the smell of food gives you a more immediate sense that someone is still around, or at least not that far away.

“THIS GROUND SURE FEELS STRANGE. IT DOESN’T FEEL LIKE ROCK.”

You can cover just about any aspect of the sense of touch if you remember the three Ts: Texture, Temperature and Tension. Here’s an example of each:

ARNISS: *Takes his hand off the landing strut* You probably have a hydraulic leak somewhere, Crytho. It feels greasy here. (Texture)

ARNISS: *Takes his hand off the landing strut* You should have that looked at. That locking joint feels really hot. (Temperature)

ARNISS: *Takes his hand off the landing strut* Crytho, come here and feel how loose this is. I’d say you’ve got two, maybe three more landings in this baby. (Tension)

All three examples feature a problem with the landing gear of Crytho’s ship, but you can see in the variety of exposition how you can paint a picture through sensation.

Have fun with it. Draw textural comparisons to lore objects or other things in the Star Wars universe:

CRYTHO: No, I’m not going to see her again. She had hair like a wookiee.

Everyone playing SWTOR should know what a wookiee is. The description of the woman’s hair gives you an immediate image (both visually and texturally) of something stringy, matted or dirty.

There you have it. I hope these examples inspired something in your own RP. Until you get the hang of it, don’t be embarrassed to put a note on your monitor or next to your keyboard that reads, SEE, HEAR, TOUCH, SMELL, to give you cues when you’re stuck in an RP situation.

Remember, RolePlaying in an MMO is like writing a script, novel or play LIVE as it happens. Spice up your exposition and put those senses to use.

((The RP XP with MJ)) publishes right here on swtor-life.com every Friday! Want some extra RP tips? Follow MJ on twitter @MJswtor or write him directly at swtorliferp(at)gmail.com

Tags: roleplayers, roleplaying, RP, RP XP with MJ

((The RP XP with MJ #24))

The Zabrak Padawan lay cradling his dead master as the two Sith approached, their crimson blades vibrating the air as he looked helplessly up at them.

Tarik knew this was it. He had always wondered how his end would come and actually hoped it would be in combat against Sith side-by-side with his master. Of course Tarik never saw the Sith slowly stalking him after slaying his master from a distance in any of his wishful visions, not giving either of them a chance to defend themselves.

“Get it over with!” He yelled at them, his eyes welling with tears though he tried to suppress his emotions.

Most of them.

The Rattataki girl spoke first after giving her saber a threatening twirl. “He seems angry, my lord. Perhaps we can turn him.”

Darth Tagious never took his yellow eyes off the Padawan. He merely said, “He’s yours, Veetha. Play with him awhile. I will meet you at the Works.”

“Of course, my master,” Veetha’s smile was as sly as a vine cat’s.

Tarik lifted his chin to give the Sith Apprentice a clear shot, but to his surprise she only stood over him… staring as her master left.

Once her master was gone through the bay entrance, she extinguished her lightsaber and knelt before Tarik, reaching under Kendris as if offering to take his body from him.

“What are you–?”

“Shush, fool. Is he dead? Can we revive him?”

“Yes, he’s dead. Your master stabbed him in the ba–”

“I said be silent,” Veetha rasped. She glanced toward the door where her master had vanished, then turned back to the Jedi Master’s body with a frown. “I don’t have much time to explain. I’ll try to get away from Tagious in the next week or two, but it will be hard to make that happen. I sometimes fear he can see through me.”

Tarik’s jaw fell open and his forehead wrinkled with an unasked question.

“My name is Veetha Harshon. I’m going to help you.”

_____

This week I want to share a rare RolePlaying tool that’s difficult to create though easy in principle. And, once you have it, your RP opportunities will more than double.

I’m talking about the duality of your character, playing both the light and the dark, the Republic and the Empire, this class and that class. And, no, not just by curving your alignment. It involves doubling your game time, repeating your efforts, and carefully tuning your in-game conversation responses. But the payoff is pretty nifty.

HOW IT STARTED

I created a female Zabrak Jedi I’ll call Nashiri (I’m keeping her actual name a secret because I have this character heavily involved in an existing story, so she’s not free for RP with anyone else. Read on. You’ll see why). I’ve been playing Nashiri primarily neutral; not because I’m holding out hope for some kick-ass neutral gear. No, she’s neutral because she is both driven by her attachment to the Jedi and the Jedi Code, and her personal quest to find her real father. She had long been haunted by dreams of a powerful Force-using figure she believes to be a residual aspect of her father and has dedicated her life to finding him. While studying as a Youngling and Padawan Nashiri always found herself drawn to other Zabrak children and studied the culture of her species extensively.

Such a faceted personal quest, naturally, will lead her to make selfish decisions. She’s easily frustrated, irritated and — thanks to her Zabrak pride (See Joshroom’s awesome lore on the Zabraks here) — she comes off as something of a racist to non-Zabraks (she’s particularly callous toward Twi’leks and humans). Unlike other Gray Jedi who may think the “Neutral Path of the Force” is a free ticket to a romantic relationship, Nashiri is the least likely of any of my characters to have one. Even if she finds a handsome Zabrak in her travels it’s more likely she’ll simply use him to find out what she can to help her in her personal quest.

WHERE IT’S GOING

I didn’t really settle on a duality for Nashiri until I kicked around the idea with a guildmate and fellow RPer. He has a Zabrak who just happens to be male and the approximate age that would be right for Nashiri’s father. The only catch… It turns out Nashiri’s potential daddy is a Sith Inquisitor.

It wasn’t hard to imagine a disconnect to their story. Perhaps the Inquisitor didn’t want to be saddled with a child. Maybe the mother of the child “escaped” the Sith’s influence and took her baby to Republic space and left her on the doorstep of a Jedi. Maybe some Jedi got wind of her Force sensitivity and abducted her. The possibilities are easy to imagine. I don’t know the answer because I’m leaving that to the player who controls Nashiri’s father. It’ll make for a nice RP surprise if they should ever meet one another and she gets to ask how they became separated.

The only problem is… How would the story ever end with her among the Jedi and he among the Sith? Nashiri can’t actually spend time with her father when she meets him because of the restraints dividing factions, and my co-writer and I both agreed a story without the possibility of payoff or tension would just fall flat. Nashiri would forever be a troubled Jedi who might never see her father (except in PvP). Her father would continue along his path of evil never knowing he had a daughter who balanced precariously on the line between Light and Dark, a ripe victim for his Dark Side lures.

WHAT I DID

The character creation tools in Star Wars: The Old Republic aren’t what I would call robust, but they are good enough that I could duplicate my Zabrak as a Sith Inquisitor on the Imperial side. As you can see in the image above, nearly every aspect of her physical appearance could be matched except for tattoo patterns and eye coloring. To compensate, I chose the closest match to the original as best I could and created a simple caveat to explain the rest.

I decided that Nashiri would try to infiltrate the ranks of the Sith — to basically go into disguise behind enemy lines — as she expands the search for daddy. To do this, she applies a temporary tattoo using a…. Let’s call it a “Kinetic Pigmentation Applicator.” Sounds Star Warsy, right? For her eyes, same thing. Or maybe she learned a Force trick that allows her eye color to change temporarily. It’s fiction. It’s easy enough to cover something as simple as pigmentation without really breaking canon or godmodding.

NASHIRI’S QUEST

Having exhausted every possible option amongst the Jedi — she had yet to find someone who gave her a psychic “match” to her memories of this paternal ghost — Nashiri decides to go “under cover” and mask her intentions as she infiltrates the Dark Side and searches for her father among the Sith.

The duality of character works perfectly well from an RP standpoint. Surprisingly, it’s pretty cool within the parameters of BioWare’s in-game story as well. I simply answer every question they way Nashiri would if she was “posing” as a Sith, sparing lives wherever she can instead of killing indiscriminately. The only “tiny” immersion breaker comes from the meditative “seething” the Inquisitors do to regain their power. Nashiri doesn’t “seethe.” She’s a Jedi. I get past it by overlooking it, waiting out my health regen or using medpacks.

When it comes to Khem Val… let’s just say Nashiri sleeps with the lights on and always watches her back. It’s not every day you befriend a Dashade who thinks you’re his Dark Side chef.

As for Nashiri’s name and the limitations that prevent duplicate names on a server, no worries. She is undercover after all, so a simple twist on the spelling of her name from Nashiri to Sharini, Nashir or Rashini works just fine.

THE DUALITY

Among her Jedi friends, in particular the Jedi Padawan of another master she was charged with watching over, Nashiri acts suspiciously. She seems drawn to computer consoles whenever she finds a break in the action, always looking over her shoulder to make sure no one is watching. On the Sith side she keeps to herself, avoiding open areas and crowded cantinas as she looks for an older male Zabrak who gives her that daddy vibe.

The other hook in my gameplay with Nashiri comes from the timeline. Story-wise she developed quite the career among the Jedi before “crossing over.” And the question still remains as to whether or not she actually fell to the Dark Side or voluntarily pulled the craziest Jedi stunt since Revan’s mind block. I didn’t want to level and RP with a Jedi Knight, then start a Sith Inquisitor from scratch (Just because she switched sides doesn’t mean she grew “weaker”). To keep the strength of the character constant, I leveled both Nashiri and her dark counterpart simultaneously. To remedy this, I haven’t RP’d her on the Dark Side. The Nashiri-as-Sith version of my Jedi is merely leveling, her in-game answers appropriate to what she would do to get buy (and establish the fact that she won’t be prone to Sith Corruption [Even if she were, I could switch that off in prefs]). Everything I do with Dark Nashiri is taking place in Nashiri’s “future” until they both reach the RP level I’m looking for.

ENDGAME

So… What will happen when she finally meets her father? Will she be shocked that he’s a Sith? Will she try to draw him back to the light? Will she resolve herself to family and forsake all she learned from the Jedi? Will she flee him and return to the Jedi who raised her, developing a disdain for the Sith that runs greater than the definition of “enemy”?

And what of her Jedi friends and companions? What if they find out she’s gone to the Dark Side? If she’s under cover will they believe her? If she “fell” will they try to save her? Will they try to kill her? Will her own father try to kill her?

As you can see, there’s a lot my friends and I can do with this very simply familial sub-plot, and it’s all possible because I’m using two character slots for the price of one.

TIPS TO GET STARTED

As I said at the top of this column, duality of character is a difficult process. Unless you love SWTOR that much that you don’t mind duplicating your efforts across factions, simultaneously leveling two characters who are essentially the same person, you may find it an arduous process. With Nashiri it’s been interesting because it’s fun to choose in-game options to keep her “Jedi half” intact on Korriban and Dromund Kaas. If, story wise, she does happen to fall to the Dark Side, I’ll have plenty of time to orchestrate her “turn.” She’s less than half-way to Level 50. Likewise with Nashiri’s fall from the Jedi. Since she’s neutral it will only take a “light shove” to push her over the edge. Again, easily attainable in the next 20 or so levels.

Of course my story is just one example of a possible duality. Your own character’s duality doesn’t have to cross factions; it could cross classes. Imagine how much ground you can cover with crafting and banking if you have a dual character on the same faction. Consider these ideas:

An Imperial officer who hunts bounties on the side (Imperial Agent/Bounty Hunter).
A double agent who poses as a civilian among the Republic but is actually an Imperial spy (Smuggler/Imperial Agent).
A soldier who sells secrets to the other side (Imperial Agent/Trooper)
A Jedi who has taken humility to a new level, forgoing his robes in favor of civilian attire (Jedi/Smuggler)
A Sith who takes her hatred to new levels, infiltrating Republic worlds and laying waste to all she sees (Sith/Jedi) — And easily done if you play a Jedi dark. I’ve seen a few running around with red lightsabers, a clear indication they’ve accumulated enough Dark Side points to acquire red color stones.
A Force-sensitive soldier is indoctrinated at an old age (Trooper/Jedi or Agent/Sith)
A Sith killing machine who has mastered more than a single talent (Sith Inquisitor/Sith Warrior)
A Jedi who is as much a warrior of the Force as she is a healer (Jedi Knight/Consular)

(The two above are also easily handled immersion-wise when you consider that the Knight/Consular and Warrior/Inquisitor each share the same ship).

A soldier who makes some money on the side while on leave (Trooper/Smuggler)

And on and on. If you create a character duality (or already created one — I’m not claiming to be the first one to do this. I’m just sharing my story with those who are new to the possibilities), write to me at the address below and tell me about it. I’d love to hear your story.

I’d also like to hear from you if you’d like to spotlight your RP group, guild or web site. Shoot me a line. I’d love to hear about it.

((The RP XP with MJ)) appears right here on swtor-life every Friday. MJ is an old-timer when it comes to RP, but he admits it’s a constant learning process. If you have stories, questions or ideas you’d like to share, write to him at swtorliferp(at)gmail.com. You can also follow him on Twitter @MJswtor.

Tags: roleplayers, roleplaying, RP, RP XP with MJ

((The RP XP with MJ #23))

“I still don’t feel right about it, master. She’s young and impressionable,” the Zabrak Padawan muttered as he joined his master at the bottom of the ship’s boarding ramp.

“You’ll get over it, Tarik. You’ll have to.” Master Kendris scratched the thatch of gray beard on his chin and surveyed Coruscant’s surroundings with a suspicious eye. “I know your feelings toward the smuggler. And you know the reason why such relations are forbidden by the Order.”

Anxious to get away from the losing argument of Yulel’s innocence and continuous attempts to hide his feelings for her, Tarik said, “Are you certain this is a safe place to be? I mean… Don’t you think the Jen’Hutis would be safer on Tython?”

His master’s response was unexpected considering their history. “Well… I think you’re actually right about that, Tarik.”

That’s when the young Zabrak noticed the private docking bay was even more private than it was moments ago. The refueling technicians, the mechanics, even the droids had vanished. “I have a bad feeling about this, master.”

Kendris nodded and ignited his lightsabers.

The whoop-whoop-whoop of two twirling blades came too quickly and neither Jedi could turn on the flash of crimson before it was too late. The spinning red lightsabers flew toward the Jedi, one high and one low. Kendris only had a split-second choice to make. He spun and dove, deflecting one of the blades with his own lightsaber to protect Tarik as the second boomeranged behind him and slashed deeply across his back.

“Nooo!” Tarik rushed forward and caught Kendris in his arms as the red blades retracted and returned to their black robed master, pulled by the Force into the Sith’s outstretched hands.

Kendris fumbled in the folds of his robes. “H-Here… Tarik…. take the Jen’Hutis… Take it.. and r-run…”

And then he was gone.

_____

In all my years of RolePlaying I have killed off countless creations. Some PC, some NPC, but if their death fulfilled a greater part of a story and had meaning to other characters, so be it.

To be honest, I didn’t even know there was a term for the permanent cessation of an MMO character. I always thought that if I wanted to stop playing him I could just… well… stop playing him. I usually juggle so many RP characters and NPCs that I never think twice about the “one who would be missed.” But the fact is that there will always be someone who needs closure. Just because you’ve re-thought the character doesn’t mean other players’ characters won’t have a void to fill, especially if your RolePlay impacted or intersected with their own.

We’re not talking about a simple “respec” on an avatar because you don’t like his beard. We’re talking about a character with a personality no longer being there, replaced by someone else. You’ve been RPing with that male Twi’lek Jedi Knight all the way to Level 50 and you’re done. You’d rather run with a female Chiss agent because you’ve got more ideas for Imperial stories. The reason behind “permadeathing” a character can come from anywhere. Let’s take a morbid look at what it takes to zap your Zabrak or sack your Sith.

DENIAL

When BioWare unveiled the Legacy system, I had trouble with how I’d link all my characters on the server. I really didn’t see the Zabrak, Twi’lek and human as siblings, so it wasn’t a given that I could just slap the same last name on all of them. Then I had an idea. I thought about what “legacy” means, and how the definition could include something as broad as the passing down of teachings or ideals. A legacy is something shared over time.

And, in my case, it started with a death.

ANGER

Prior to the launch of Star Wars: The Old Republic, I had been running some Forum RP with my guildmates in an effort to start building some characterization. Sometimes we’d create NPCs to help each other grow: Apprentices for Lords, Hutts for Smugglers, even an entire enclave of Jedi Masters to decide the fate of a “fallen Sith.” Along the way, I created a Jedi Master who was a bit long in the tooth and short on his expectations of the Jedi Order. He wasn’t really a “Gray Jedi,” but he harbored a secret: an affair he had in his younger days that has haunted his conscience ever since. I grew to like his voice, his sense of humor, his sardonic approach to the Jedi and his no-nonsense approach to all things Force.

Meanwhile, a guildmate wanted a reason for his Padawan to fall to the Dark Side. His Padawan was without a master, so it seemed the perfect opportunity to bring in my Jedi to see what kinds of strings I could pull and possibly adversely influence this poor Padawan and angle her toward her Dark Destiny.

BARGAINING

As my friend worked out the storyline he wanted for his fallen Padawan, I worked up the ire of my crotchety Jedi. The more I played him out in different FRP scenarios, the more I liked him. I even placed him near the top of my second tier of characters-I-want-to-create. He paralleled the “soul” of an NPC character I’d created in another MMO that became so popular he got a skin of his own.

My FRP partner in the fallen Padawan scenario came to me to kick around ideas for how his Padawan could fall. This happened about the same time BioWare released their rough sketch of the Legacy system. Then it hit me. What better way to honor the character of my Jedi than to put him at the top of a lasting legacy?

If the Jedi’s Padawan killed him — we figured “unintentionally” would be a good foundation for our scene vis-a-vis Anakin’s “What have I done?” lament over sealing Mace Windu’s fate in Revenge of the Sith (Oops. Spoiler) — that would be a simple solution to answer both our needs. I’d get my legacy out of a fallen master, and my friend would get his catalyst for throwing his Padawan to the k’lor’slugs of Korriban.

DEPRESSION

When it comes to permadeathing a character, you the player have no qualms. After all, this was your idea. You have bigger things in mind. Whether it’s a drastic redux, you need to tweak a few things, or — like me — you decided to sacrifice your child so that other, greater, lives may come of it, you’re feeling pretty good about it.

Depending how close your RP has been with other players’ characters, you may face some opposition to the idea. What if someone else’s character was falling in love with yours, depended on your character for support or training; or maybe your regular RP partner was on the verge of something great, an epic story the two of you would write together? Now this. The bomb drop. The end. The big tamale.

As with any other major change in an RP relationship (marriage, sexual relations, familial bonds, master-apprentice relationships), it’s good to talk it out Out Of Character beforehand. Who knows? Maybe your RP partners have an idea that will save your character’s life. Maybe they know something you don’t. Maybe they see something in your character that you hadn’t seen and maybe they’re right.

That’s depending, of course, on the reason for the permadeath to begin with. If you’re thumbing your nose at your former friends before jumping to a new server, or if you just found out the RP guild you joined is a cover for PvP group, OOC isn’t necessary (though I would caution you to make sure you’re not hurting any true friends in the process who might want to join you on the other server).

Once you have it settled, it’s time to go to that big lightsaber in the sky.

ACCEPTANCE

The simplest way to permadeath a character is to simply delete them between games. If someone asks you OOCly later on, “((Whatever happened to your bounty hunter?))” you can simply reply, “((Fell into a Sarlaac pit.))” There’s no acting, no choreography. It’s just an echo of a story, perhaps a legendary fall or even a freak accident.

In my situation, my partner and I are choreographing a duel between our characters and a Sith Lord (also played by my friend). FRP is an easy way to handle the scenario because you can completely work out the details in an OOC thread or via personal e-mail before you perform the action. All I want is for my character to die slowly enough to make one final statement. Other than that, it’ll be quick and only slightly painful. Which brings me to….

Don’t ham it up like a Gamorrean’s thigh. There’s no need to prolong the death scene or make it horrifyingly gruesome. A character’s death will be more memorable if they were memorable characters. The death scene isn’t the thing you should want your onlookers to remember. You’ll want them to miss your character when he or she is gone, to make them feel “real.” Look at Star Wars lore for two of the most perfect examples: Cleanly chopped in half (Darth Maul); fell into a Sarlaac pit (Boba Fett). (Oops! Spoilers.)

Yes, I know, both characters were “reborn” or “made not-dead” in oft-debated extended fiction (Bah! Spoilers again!) But think about why Uncle George gave the nod to their returns. Boba Fett, for example, was simply the “guy who delivered Han Solo to Jabba the Hutt.” What made him so special? Fans loved him, that’s what. The first appearance of the Mandalorian-style armor reminiscent of a knight, the fact that he was the only one employed by the Empire (freelance or otherwise) who talked back to Darth Vader without choking on his own Force (“He’s no good to me dead.”) The scalps hanging off his armor. A backpack rocket launcher! Ooh. Nerdgasm.

But seriously, it was the coolness of the characters or what they represented that made them memorable… and mourned.

And, as with popular “second string” Star Wars characters, they’re proof that permadeath may not be so perma after all. Just make sure that when your character dies they don’t do so by getting minced in a spice grinder.

MJ is the RP columnist and editor for swtor-life.com. You can follow him on twitter @MJswtor and you can write to him directly at swtorliferp(at)gmail.com. If you have any ideas, questions, thoughts or stories to share, send them his way. He’d love to hear them.

Tags: permadeath, roleplaying, RP, RP XP with MJ

((The RP XP with MJ #22))

Ord Mantell was generally no place for a crazy Twi’lek girl, especially with all the territorial squabbling between the Republic and the unpredictably superior separatists, but that’s where Yulel ended up.

She waved to the Gand pilot and ducked out from under the hot vents of his ship’s repulsors just as the small vessel lifted off and banked up into the clouds.

“Hey! Idiot! You almost took my head off!” She called up to the receding dot of a ship as it vanished. She pulled the straps of her pack so that it rested snugly against her shoulder blades and muttered, “I know you were in a hurry to leave, but that’s no reason to–”

The blaster bolt whizzed by Yulel’s head and stung her tchun as she twisted and dove behind a large rock nestled in an overgrowth of brush. Bolts continued to thump into the ground around her, crack at her stone cover and blaze through the air as she rolled off her back and scrambled to dig the blaster out of her pack.

A surly voice called out, “She’s over this way!” just before another barrage of fire chopped the heavy brush of foliage around her hiding place. 

The shooting stopped just as she readied her blaster. Yulel lay on her back with the weapon pointed at the sky between her knees. She didn’t want to risk getting up or even moving for fear she’d become an instant target again. Instead, she waited for them to come to her.

Through gritted teeth she promised, “Just try it seppy scum… Just try it.”

_____

It feels like that sometimes, doesn’t it? You and some friends get together for a little RolePlay laced with GamePlay and you have a mob spawn right on top of you during one of your big soliloquies.

There are generally three main types of group RP: The Staged Play, The Dramatic Improv and The Productive RP.

The Staged Play is a predetermined scenario you invent between friends where certain outcomes need to be established before the RP begins. “I want to encounter your character on Planet X and have a duel with you, but the loser should get away with their life,” is a simple example of how a Staged Play RP might start. While your dialog and emotes during the duel will be ad lib, the end result of a draw is predetermined. The purpose of this particular kind of RP may simply be to entertain onlookers or to fulfill an action sequence that had been building in your group’s Forum RP, or even to settle a bet.

The only predeterminer of The Dramatic Improv is the location, and that location must be secure and PvP-free. The back corner of a cantina, a dark alley or — better yet — you or your RP partner’s ship interior. There’s no fighting, no necessity for predetermined anything. It’s just a Jedi instructing his Padawan, or a Bounty Hunter trading gear with her partner, or a small group of troopers shooting the bull about their last operation, or a Sith Warrior turning up the charm in an effort to capture the heart of a lovely Imperial Agent. Everything is natural, improvised and typically closed. Like real life conversations, anything can happen. An argument can break out, a deal can be struck, a date can be made.

This article is about the third form of group RP: The Productive RP. I call it “productive” because it’s essentially “playing the game” with some RolePlay and characterization thrown in and pretty much the only way you can actually gain XP while RPing.

BioWare has done such an awesome job with that “Fourth Pillar” thing of theirs that it would be a shame to ignore it and keep all the RP to yourselves. Why not get a group together and RP your way through some Heroic areas or share some class quests? Why not? Because it can be a pain in the lekku, that’s why. The question is: Is there a way to make it less painful?

I get together with my guildmates every Sunday evening and we take a foursome to do just that. We RP introductions between our characters and roll out stories for the trooper, Jedi, Consular and smuggler. It’s been interesting so far. The Jedi is something of a bigoted alien amongst her human companions and has trouble understanding the simple concept of humor. The smuggler, on the other hand, is a brash profiteer who cracks jokes and makes snide comments as the mood strikes him. The chemistry between them is ripe for lighthearted tension or conflict. Meanwhile, the trooper is the strong silent type often distracted by Twi’lek holodancers, though he’s usually all business and pro-Republic no matter the cost. And the Jedi Consular is a young and inexperienced Padawan under the protection of the humorless Jedi.

Sounds like an interesting group, doesn’t it? Lots of possibility for interaction and unique side stories to unfurl on their journey every week. Will the Jedi slip toward the Dark Side? Will sexual tension build between the smuggler and Jedi? Will the trooper break his stoney silence and come to the aide of the young female Consular who is often shaken by the uncharacteristic actions of the Jedi Sentinel assigned to protect her? Will there be jealousy? Corruption? Or will this band of misfits come together with a singular purpose to thwart evil in the galaxy?

Yeah, that’s all blue milk and cookies, but how can you clearly keep all that together when Imperials, Justicars or rakghouls are spawning all around you?

Here are some tips that will get you through the daily grind without it grinding on your RP quality. Understandably, everyone wants to gain XP (Yes, even us RPers), so my tips aren’t made to help you avoid gaining XP or loot. Consider these tips for avoiding world conflict or PVE distractions while you RP. You can always “switch to OOC” and chop through mobs just to get the loot and XP if you want to.

These tips are more for the hard core RolePlayer who likes to enforce realism in their world (it’s not likely a mob you just killed would spontaneously resurrect, in other words).

1. Stick to the middle of the road.

As you move through an area on your class quests you’ll notice that enemy mobs pretty much loiter in clusters off the beaten path. In some cases, you actually have to seek them out to get XP off them. You can avoid them by moving straight down the middle of the street or path. If your RP group is trying to backtrack through an area and don’t want to be bothered with re-fighting your way through, watch for telltale “secret paths” and seams. The docks on Coruscant, for example, are usually loaded with equipment. Did you know you could hug the rail and sneak around behind the crates to get to the mob boss without fighting through the mob?

2. Watch for smoke and bodies.

You may come across an open area with no mobs and think it would be a good time to stop and launch into some RP. Not so fast. If someone had already blazed through, they could have wiped the slate clean, in which case you’ll soon find yourself standing on a re-spawn point for enemies. If it’s a big boss, it could be several long minutes before the respawn, but — boom! — you’re in the middle of discussing the smuggler’s inability to read a map when a 40-ton rogue droid suddenly appears where your trooper is standing. Kind of immersion breaking, ain’t it? Just keep your eyes open. Watch for NPC bodies or heaps of broken smoking war droids or turret debris. Sometimes — especially in the case of bosses — the bodies will disappear several long seconds before the enemy respawns. Sometimes enemies respawn over their old corpses. You just have to keep your eyes open for the signs. And be suspicious of areas that make you think, “This would be a good place for an enemy encounter,” because it probably is.

3. Look for RP “safe areas.”

Get used to taking mental note of where enemies don’t typically appear. The thin gaps between crates and railings on Coruscant, like I mentioned in No. 1, are mob-safe and even break line-of-site. The mid-point of any ramp or incline is also typically enemy-free. Study your main map and look for small junctions or corridors that link two or more giant quest areas. These junctions hold neutral NPCs or even medical supply droids and are the best bet for “take a break to RP” moments.

4. Target everything… just to make sure.

The most perfect example of this sneaky trick by BioWare can be found in Justicar territory on Coruscant. If you left-click an enemy you typically get a red reticule and I.D. that lets you know they’re a bad guy and will shoot you if you get too close. However, there are a lot of NPCs occupying the same area who highlight as yellow or neutral. They won’t bother you unless you attack them first. The sneakiness comes into play when these NPCs dress or act a lot like the enemy mobs in the same area. They generally occupy areas that “bleed over” into the street and cause you to swing wide as you pass through. This invariably “pushes” you into a legitimate encounter. Had you stuck to the middle of the road, you would have gone by these “Informants,” “Loaders,” or “Militia Conscripts” without incident. (NOTE: This tip is useful if you’re playing with Nameplates turned OFF. If you’re a solid RPer I’m assuming that’s the case for you. Floaty names are so immersion-breaking )

5. Establish a plan of attack in OOC and designate a party leader.

If you don’t have a party leader, everyone will scatter at the first run-in with an enemy mob. Your healer will lose line-of-site or get separated, or your ranged DPS will get trounced when he wanders into a boss zone. Plan out your positions, roles and leadership Out Of Character before moving into an area and you’ll eliminate a lot of these problems. Remember: RPer though you may be, if you plan to do some Productive RP, you’ll have to wear your gamer shoes.

My group is still hammering out the kinks, but we’re starting to find our stride. Flashpoints are much easier to manage with Productive RP because they’re relatively linear and broken into “acts” like a play. Open world stuff can be a little more challenging. I hope these tips help you in your next Productive RP group session. Write to me and let me know how it goes!

Now log in and start writing that next adventure.

MJ’s column ((The RP XP with MJ)) publishes right here on swtor-life.com every Friday. You can follow him on Twitter (@MJswtor) or contact him directly at swtorliferp(at)gmail.com. He strives to answer every email and, if you have a good idea, suggestion or hot tip, he’ll add it to the column.

Tags: Roleplay, roleplaying, RP, RP XP with MJ

((The RP XP with MJ #21))

Aaaahh! What happened to my RP XP? Where’s the witty picture? Where’s the ongoing fiction about the smuggler who stole the rock? They’ll be back, my friends. But this week I thought I’d address an aspect of the game few RPers even consider.

This edition of the RP XP is all about in-game preferences for RolePlayers. Early last month, swtor-life’s own Mr. Warlock gave some great advice for preference settings to make your life easier in Star Wars: The Old Republic. The first of his two-part series can be found here. While those prefs were awesome suggestions for gaming, they don’t necessarily meet the oddball needs of those of us who fly the crazy RPer’s banner.

Keep in mind that these are my own choices. Yours may be different. I just thought I’d share what I found and maybe give you some ideas for tweaking your own SWTOR setup….

CONTROLS

All your settings under Controls should be centered around whatever will make the game easier for you. Naturally, you can set up the preferences to suit your own play style, or other MMOs you’ve grown used to, but I’ve found that the settings I use help me level quickly, to get to the point where I’m comfortable enough to RP freely. For some that’s right out of the box, for others it’s not until they’ve maxed out or hit Legacy. For me it’s once I’m mobile and my characters have their ships. However you level, these settings may give you some ideas on how to get through the grind. These are my preferences:

Enable Area Loot — I like this one because I’d rather not jog from corpse to corpse picking up junk. With this selected, all loot from a mob is gathered in one place, including mission pick-ups and special gear. It’s your one-stop-shop for looting.
Auto-loot on Right-click — OFF. I originally had this on because I thought it would be even easier when combined with Enable Area Loot — and it is — until you see how quickly your inventory fills with junk. Sometimes you don’t want to bother with having your companion sell off your useless items. Sometimes you just want to pick up the credits and commendations and leave the useless battery pack behind.
Deselect Target upon Clicking Terrain — From an RP standpoint, you might not want to have your character staring at potential targets or other characters as you walk past them. Clicking on the terrain de-selects them. For example, if you leave a quest-giver and go into RP with a friend, unless you actively click that friend, you’ll be staring at the quest giver while you’re RPing. I use the Click to Terrain to add an easy emote to my RP. Here’s how it works: Don’t face the character you’re talking to directly. Face about 45 degrees to their right or left. When you click on them, you’re looking at them. Your character physically turns their head to face them. When you click away (anywhere on the terrain), you slightly turn your head as if distracted or considering their thoughts. It’s subtle, but if used effectively can bring added life to your character without “/emoting.”
Auto Target Closest Enemy — This simply saves on clicking, and in most cases, works logically and extremely well. Kudos to BioWare for knowing which target I’d hit next if I’d done it manually. What if you want to vary your tactics and hit the “Sawbones” or “Technician” in the background so he can’t buff up his buddies? No problem. You can still manually click (or tab) to override the auto-target.

FLYTEXT

I didn’t show the screen on the FlyText panel because it’s this easy: ALL OFF. Why? Because the little floaty numbers that show damage may be helpful when you’re micromanaging your heals, but to an RPer it takes you out of the combat and plops you into a video game. Preferences for RolePlayers should be all about immersion and what’s going to pull you into the Star Wars experience. Now if you’re more comfortable with some FlyTexts on, please do so. This is all about what works best for you.

CHAT

Chat Panel Fade — I prefer to have all my panels fade when they’re not live. Chat is no different. Even though it’s the mainstay of RP, a wall of text in the corner can really screw up a beautiful vista. If and where possible, I set my panels to go completely translucent when not in use and pop up to 100 percent opacity when they are. That’s just me. As for the map opacity while moving, the default works fine for me. Oh, and speaking of the map, did you know that if you activate the magnifying glass in the lower left corner of the map panel the magnified area will show you everything from the map key (even areas you don’t have selected). It’s a great way to scout out a populated area or road to see if there’s a medical droid stationed nearby without having to click through the categories on the map key.
Filter Profanity — I turned this off not because swearing doesn’t bother me. I turned it off because in-game profanity filters can make funny choices sometimes when it comes to what is and is not profanity. I’ve seen cases (not in SWTOR) where contractions like “can’t” will throw out a “&#$^%” instead. If you’re not bothered by the odd swear here or there, I suggest turning the filter off. Otherwise, you’ll never hear Darth T’anus introduce himself.
General Chat — OFF. Why? Because who wants their RP chat mixed in with general chatter about “How duz I gets litesabre?” and “Which Shan chick is hotter, Bastila or Satele?” or “Anyone recommend a good graphics card?” If you’re worried about someone not being able to get your attention for RP, local “Say” commands should suffice. And, as I always say, a polite “/whisper” for an RP invite is the most proper way to do it, not a shout out in General.

SOCIAL

Hide Head Slot — You went to all the trouble to match Head #5 with Body #2 and you want your character’s rugged good looks to stand out. No worries. You can still keep all the effects associated with that headband, hat or helmet without showing it. Simply turn off the head slot and your helmet is invisible. As an RPer, I like turning this on and off to fit the logical moments when my trooper or agent would wear their gear and when they wouldn’t (off when in their ship or a cantina, for example). A cool note: I recently equipped my Imperial Agent with a headset that altered her voice to sound like it was coming through a speaker. Hide the head slot and I get her normal voice. It’s a cool detail that the audio mods match the visual ones. Kudos again, BioWare.
Show Sith Corruption — THE BITCHING STOPS HERE! It astounds me how many complaints have been going around about how non-Force users are subjected to “Sith Corruption” when they’re not Sith. Gripes about agent and bounty hunters showing signs like pale skin and red eyes have been vibrating around since beta. Listen… it’s an OPTIONAL game mechanic. You can turn it OFF. And, here’s the good part that some of the complainers may not realize: you can turn it off… PER CHARACTER. That’s right. In my case, only my Sith Warrior has the corruption turned on because I want to SEE them fall fully to the corruption of the Dark Side. With everyone else: OFF. It’s that simple, folks, and really just a painless one-time click away; not like having to re-tell Corso Riggs repeatedly to stop harpooning enemies every time you change zones.
Allow Access to Same Class Story Areas — This is vital if you have a group of troopers all RPing together as a “squad,” or a pair of Imperial Agents working together on a Heroic in-character. If everyone in your group has this clicked ON you can share your experiences in class story areas. Having the option OFF will put up an invisible wall to anyone but you with the notice that warns off everyone of the same class. Don’t make your friends wait outside. Turn on the access and have some fun together.
Show Legacy Bar — This will be a preference for the higher level RPers to seriously consider. Do all your characters share the same last name or just the same legacy? If you’re like me and have characters spanning multiple alignments, backgrounds and species, you’ll probably want to reserve your Legacy as a simple sub-head or just leave it invisible. It’s just nice to know there are options to keep those of us with Twi’lek Sith and human troopers happy.

NAMEPLATES

Like FlyText, I opt to have them all off. How many times have you run into a situation where a character approaches yours in a cantina and addresses your character by name? Obviously, it a faux pas on the part of the player. They saw the name floating above you and said it. If all RPers turned off their nameplates, in-game life would be more like real life where people ask you what your name is before engaging you in lengthy conversation about the best way to remove Minocs from a landing strut. I think it’s a good practice to keep the nameplates off if for nothing more than to add a deeper immersion and to keep you from being distracted by names like “Lord Poopiepants.”

If you have any tips or tricks relating to preferences, keybinds or in-game controls that make RolePlaying better, please share them in the comments below or write to me at swtorliferp(at)gmail.com. And, don’t forget, you can also follow me on Twitter @MJswtor! ((The RP XP with MJ)) publishes every Friday right here on swtor-life.com.

Tags: Preferences, Roleplay, RP, RP XP with MJ, Settings

((The RP XP with MJ #20))

The ruddy-skinned Twi’lek looked up at the Jedi temple and squinted against the bright sunlight. When she looked back down she noticed she was the center of attention.

The young Jedi Zabrak with her said, “There’s a Twi’lek village near here, but we don’t get many your color, Yulel.”

Yulel ignored him and started down the steps toward the taxi launch.

“Wait. Where are you going?”

“I’m not staying here, Tarik. I hate you guys.”

Tarik stopped momentarily and glanced around. Some Padawans were practicing against droid dummies nearby, building their skills with practice blades before commencing the trials that would give them their lightsabers. Beyond that, no one else was nearby. When he saw Yulel was getting ahead of him, he jogged to catch up. “Who do you hate?”

Yulel held her pace, chin up, eyes straight ahead. “You. All of you. You kreffing Jedi.”

Tarik gasped and glanced around again. A passing consular frowned in Yulel’s direction. “Yulie, stop talking like that. I’m a Jedi.”

She stopped and turned to face him. “Exactly. You’re a Jedi. Then why didn’t you stop them when they took the rock away from me?”

“Because it’s dangerous, Yulel. The Jen’Hutis can be a powerful weapon in the wrong hands.”

She pointed back at the temple. “Eehhhhh!”

“The Jedi are not the wrong hands in this case.”

“How do you know? You can’t even trust yourself!” She turned and continued toward the taxi stand.

Tarik raised his arms and let them fall. “Now what does that mean?”

She stopped and faced him again. She stepped close until they were almost nose to nose. In a low voice she said, “Do you love me?”

“You know I do,” he whispered, glancing around sheepishly to make sure they were out of earshot.

Yulel pointed at him. “Eehhhhh!”

“What!?”

“You’re breaking your own stupid Jedi Code!”

Then she turned and ran the rest of the way to the taxi stand, her lekku swinging behind her.

_______

It’s that time again! It’s time for another Q&A about R&P!

As promised, every 10^th ((The RP XP with MJ)) will feature your questions about RolePlaying and RP in SWTOR. If you’d like to send in some questions for number 30, feel free. My address is at the bottom of every post.

Let’s get to it, shall we? I promised to not be so long-winded in 2012.

Pfft. Like that’s going to happen.

IF I RP WITH A FEMALE CHARACTER AREN’T GUYS GOING TO HIT ON ME?

Let me answer that question with a question. Are you afraid they’re going to hit on YOU or your CHARACTER? If you’re afraid it’s you, I’d advise you to stick with a gender you’re more comfortable with. Bottom line, if RPing off-gender makes you uncomfortable, don’t do it. Some people are like that playing Sith. RP or not, it’s just not within their comfort zone to torture prisoners into confession, virtually or otherwise.

If you’re talking about your character, the answer to that question is (hopefully) yes. Why hopefully? Well, if we’re talking about RolePlay here wouldn’t you want to face the challenge of having someone approach your character and start flirting with her? If she’s the headstrong type, independent, or if you create her with a background that includes marriage, you’ll have an opportunity to rebuff his advances. That could make for some interesting dialog exchange or “/e throws her drink in his face” emoting. Granted, that’s not nearly as much of a challenge as it would be to have her appreciate and accept those advances if you’re playing her that way.

Just remember that a smartass female smuggler is no different than a smartass male smuggler. You’re in it for the money. Play your female character the same way you’d play your male character to their class and it won’t be an issue. Changing gender doesn’t change how your class should operate unless you want it to.

WHAT’S THE RULE ABOUT ENDING AN RP SESSION IN-PROGRESS IF I HAVE TO RUN?

Good question. There are a couple of approaches based on the level of emergency if you have to break an RP and log out of the game quickly:

1) EXTREME EMERGENCY – Your house is on fire. Log out without a word. Explain later if you can and work out a resolution to the RP via email or on the forums if, that is, you didn’t lose your computer in the fire.

2) LIGHT EMERGENCY – You’re going to be late for work if you don’t move NOW. Throw out a quick OOC (Out Of Character) heads up: “((Shoot! Gotta run! Didn’t notice the time!))” Don’t forget the double parentheses to indicate you’re speaking as yourself and not the character.

3) IRRITATED RUSH – Your husband/wife is yelling at you to “get off the damn computer.” If it’s me, I throw out an extended #2 with an added OOC about the scene we were RPing: “((Can we pick this up tomorrow, or can I quickly RP out now?))” If you were just finishing up anyway, go ahead. If not, you can opt to continue where you left off or have your character make a quick in-character exit.

2) RELATIVE HURRY – You just “really gotta go.” Make an in-character exit as you would in real life. Emote it with “/e glances at the time” or “/e starts edging toward the door.” The easiest way out of an RP in a hurry while in-character is to use your class as an excuse. “If I don’t get back to the Academy, Baras is going to kill me,” or “The squad is forming up to attack the separatists on the far side of the island. Sorry. I gotta hoof it now!”

MY FRP IS WAY BEHIND MY GAME RP. WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO BRING THEM BOTH UP TO SPEED WITHOUT STOPPING THE GAME?

Oh, if I had a credit for every time I had this problem I’d buy VIP bracelets for everyone. This is probably true of a lot of RPers who were excitedly starting their Star Wars stories prior to game launch and now that they’re in-game, the FRP (Forum RolePlay) has been forgotten. There are really only a couple solutions to this problem that don’t involve simply ignoring the FRP and letting it die.

First, if the time difference isn’t too bad, you can agree that you’re RPing “slightly in the future” in-game and you and your partner(s) in the story can agree to step up the FRP to catch up. Don’t be shy about establishing a schedule. Have an OOC chat in-game and encourage everyone to meet a certain deadline or expectation of completion. The same holds true if you and your partner(s) agree that the FRP is extremely important to your story and needs to be resolved. If it’s that important, you all have to agree to spend more time on it to bring it up to speed. You can still spend time in-game. Just do it leveling, grinding or crafting. Save the RP for when the story in-forum catches up.

You can also agree to simply let the FRP fade out, especially if the intention was to build background up to an in-game event. If that in-game event is happening, you no longer need the FRP. If a disparity of time is the issue, simply talk out with your RP partners an agreed-upon resolution to your forum story and move on without actually having to write it all out.

I WANT TO RP WITH MY BOYFRIEND WHO JUST GOT THE GAME, BUT HE THINKS IT’S GAY. HOW DO I CONVINCE HIM IT’S COOL?

RP is like any other hobby or pastime. It’s not everyone’s cup of caf. If your boyfriend is really into hockey, for example, but you’re not, what would be the best way for him to get you on the ice? Not gonna happen? If he feels the same way about RP in the game, don’t push it, especially if you have other online friends who like to RP with you and you’ve already established a community.

Typically, if he sees you doing it, he might become interested. If you’re both in the game and on the same server and planet, he might take an interest if he eavesdrops and sees how it works. Some people tend to shy away from RP because they just don’t “get it” or know how it works. They’re probably more grind-minded and not creative enough for RolePlay. Those are the people who typically throw slurs at it and call it “gay.” Just sayin’.

I RP WITH A FRIEND FROM ANOTHER GUILD WHO IS ALSO FROM ANOTHER COUNTRY. WE RARELY GET TO BE IN-GAME AT THE SAME TIME. ANY SUGGESTIONS?

I suggest MRP. Back in the day — back before computers when people actually saw the sun and played things like “Frisbee” and “baseball” — pen pals (people who wrote letters back and forth and actually sent them through the mail. Yes, the “snail mail”) used to play games across great distances by setting up game boards in their own homes and mailing their moves to each other. This was typically done with chess. Player A would make his move, then write out “Pawn to Rook 7″ and mail it (maybe along with a letter or picture) to their friend half-way around the world. Player B with an identical set-up would make that move, then mail back a counter-move. It made for some looooooong matches, but it was one way to ensure contact and gave you something to do with your long-distance friend.

You can do the same thing with RolePlay. In the case of SWTOR, you each have the same game, so you can establish your locations, character appearance and activities with screenshots and description. The great thing about MRP (Mail RP) is that you can expand the universe outside the game just like you can with Forum RP. No longer relegated to the same emotes and actions, you and your long-distance partner can generate a story about discovering a rancor cave on Korriban, an old rusted speeder half buried in a swamp on Tython, or duel each other on the neon-lit balconies of Nar Shadaa.

YOU MENTIONED “SRP” BEFORE (ROLEPLAYING BY YOURSELF). COULD YOU TALK MORE ABOUT THAT? I’M NOT REALLY A “GROUP PERSON.”

Well, if you’re a creative-minded person, a writer, storyteller or long to create your own Star Wars legacy, but you’d rather go solo, there are ways you can get the RP feel without a partner.

One of the things I do is have my characters interact with each other through the in-game mail system. It’s a great way to build characterization as well as prep for The Legacy once you reach that coveted 30. For example, my smuggler has been crafting stims which they sell to my trooper at an exorbitant rate. My trooper has a “drug problem.” It’s an integral part of the trooper character’s background and affects how they interact with PCs as well as NPCs. As the smuggler gets richer, the trooper gets poorer and more “dependent.” It’s an interesting dynamic playing both parts.

If you’re like the person several questions back who’s concerned about playing an “available female,” you can have your female character married to your male character. They can send gifts back and forth through the in-game mail system (a great cover story for establishing a personal crafting network or reimbursing yourself). In this case, your sad married couple never get to see each other because of their ties to work or duty. That doesn’t mean you can’t explore their characters by using in-game mail.

Thank you, Swotorians, for another great set of questions! Remember, you can email me directly at swtorliferp(at)gmail.com. I answer every email I get. You can also follow me on Twitter at @MJswtor. I usually save up a batch of questions for every 10th edition of the RP XP, but if you’ve got a good question, I may just dedicate an entire column to it.
Until then, log in and create a story!

By the way, if you happen to see a trooper continually injecting themselves while hanging out in a cantina… it’s probably me. Just back away slowly unless you want a Deathstick shoved up your nose.

Q&A INDEX

Issue #1 RPXP #10

Tags: roleplayers, roleplaying, RP, RP XP with MJ

((The RP XP with MJ #19))

Sergeant Wex folded his arms over his armored chest as he squinted against the bright Tythonian sky toward the Jedi temple.

“Well, be careful what you wish for.” Wex shouldered his rifle and moved toward the steps of the temple. “I have the feeling it’s going to be a busy year.”
_______

I thought I’d take some time this week to talk about New Year’s resolutions for RP in SWTOR for 2012.

Typically, resolutions are made to break bad habits or to change behavior, to swear to yourself and those closest to you that you’ll stop smoking, lose weight, ride a bull, whatever. But, since SWTOR is literally only days old, it’s kind of hard to pin down bad RolePlaying habits to break.

But what if we resolve not to make those mistakes before they happen?

Here are some random RP “don’ts” that will keep you on the straight and narrow as you RP your way through 2012 in SWTOR. May the Force be with you.

1. DON’T GODMOD – Never take control of another person’s character by telling them what they’re doing, and don’t put your own character above others with some kind of special “invisible” ability such as, “I was surgically modified in a laboratory. Lightsabers bounce off my skin.” Um… no they don’t.

2. MIND YOUR LANGUAGE – Keep in mind as you RP in open areas that other people can read what you’re typing unless you’re conducting your RP in whispers or in a closed Party channel. Remember, swearing in Star Wars never went beyond the odd “hell” here and there. If you must use colorful language, use the K-word. Popularized in SW fiction, “kreff,” “kreffing” or “kreffed” is a perfectly acceptable canon replacement for the F-dash-dash-dash word. Like “Frack” in BSG, it can be over used, but if you really need to react to that blaster dropped on your toe….

3. BEWARE THE CLICHE – I’m sure one of the first things you’re aching to do in SWTOR RP is whip out one of the famous Star Wars lines. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this” and “This is where the fun begins” are fun, and if properly timed can really add to the Star Wars feel of the game; a reminder of where we are and what we’re doing. Just don’t overdo it and don’t say it just to say it. Once per episode is plenty.

4. DON’T BREAK THE FANTASY – Coke, TV and baseball don’t exist in the Star Wars universe. If you make pop culture references in your RP make sure they’re from the right pop culture. Substitute fizzy drink, holocron and Huttball for the above and you’ll continue to fit in with the fantasy.

5. CANON, CANON, CANON – Please don’t say you’re the brother of Darth Malgus, or that you have personally led the project to fully irrigate Tatooine and turn it into “New Manaan.” Canon refers to a set standard, a predetermined set logic to a person, place or thing that should not be undone. That said, changing canon is like changing the markings on a ruler. You can’t off-set the established norm. It all began in 1977 with George Lucas, and — while it has changed several times since then — it’s still an unshakable property now expanded by BioWare. In short, adapt and connect to the worlds around you. Don’t alter them to suit your personal view. Remember: RP is a “social” experience. Changing canon alienates you from the rest of the universe.

6. WALK, DON’T RUN – Learn to use your walk toggle! If you’re an RPer, you have to play by the first rule of mobile common sense: People do not run everywhere. Sure, game-wise there’s a LOT of ground to cover and you’re not going to spend it moving at a leisurely stroll from one end of Coruscant to the other. I’m talking about moving from one end of a room to another (say within a cantina), or walking up to an RP in progress to introduce yourself. The default walk toggle and lock can be found on your number pad: “Num Lock” and “/” will get you started. In an upcoming ((The RP XP with MJ)) I’ll show you recommended preference settings for RPers for these and other cool stuffs. Stay tuned.

7. EMOTE SPARINGLY – A good rule of thumb for physical emotes is to think of them as punctuation rather than “sign language,” if you use them at all. You don’t have to emote “/laugh” when you can simply type “/e laughs” or “I laugh.” Using emotes after typed sentences carries more weight. For example, “I looked everywhere. I have no idea where he is.” Next line: /shrug. Always remember: good, short exposition goes farther than a mechanized avatar motion.

8. DON’T ASK – I’m on a designated RP server. Still, I find obvious non-RPers polluting the matrix with their PvP grinding. How do I know? No RolePlayer worth their story would name a character “Bootylicious” or “LordBoomBoom.” If you see these people, or see characters bouncing like Tigger across the frozen wastes of Hoth or jumping to their deaths from the scaffoldings of Korriban, chances are they’re not going to respond well if you ask them if they RP.

9. GO FISH – Looking for RP? Don’t run around the game world yelling in General chat, “Yo! Who wanna RP!?” RolePlayers are a subtle bunch. The best way to snag an RP is to go “fishing.” Just WALK into a cantina and identify yourself as an RPer through your actions. Typing things like: “/e orders a drink,” or “/e looks around the room,” or “/e nervously checks the time” will eventually draw the attention of other RPers who may approach and start up a conversation in character. Don’t forget to use the common Out Of Character (OOC) indicator of “(( ))” when speaking “as yourself.”

10. LOOK, DON’T TOUCH – If you see someone RPing in an open setting such as a cantina, don’t jump in without knowing what’s going on. “Listen” to their story by following the chat window and see if it makes sense for your character to interrupt. Is there something you can add to the story? Remember, even if you think so, these RPers may have a destiny in mind for their characters. Send one of them a tell (“/whisper [their name]“) and ask if you can join in. If you don’t have something to add, compliment them and ask if you could join them next time. Maybe they’re from an RP guild. Maybe you can join them. It never hurts to ask.

Got any tips or tricks? How about a cool RP story? 2012 is going to be a great year for swtor! Let me know what you’d like to see in this column and be sure to share your own epic adventures.  YOUR Q&A COMING NEXT WEEK! Remember, every 10th RP column is dedicated to YOU. Send me your questions and comments!

((The RP XP with MJ)) publishes every Friday right here on swtor-life.com. You can contact MJ directly at swtorliferp(at)gmail.com. You can also follow him on Twitter @MJswtor (with lots of Twitter-related RP stuff coming in 2012).  He’ll tell you what server he’s on, “When it stops being full.” Have a great new year, everyone! May the Force be with you!

Tags: roleplaying, RP, RP XP with MJ

((The RP XP with MJ #18))

We here at the staff of ((The RP XP with MJ)), in recognition of the holiday weekend, would like to take a moment to thank you all for your continued comments, questions and support.

The RP community, even in a massive game like SWTOR, is a relatively small group. But we are family. We are the ones who embrace the “Fourth Pillar” and create a fifth: Our Own Epic Stories. So, it is with great honor and humility that I thank you all for keeping the art of RolePlay alive and well, for fostering it in others, and for being the greatest, closest most dedicated community in gaming.

May your holidays be filled with joy and swtor this weekend! Happy Life Day!

And now, some words from the staff….

YULEL, The Smuggler
“Weeee, I get to go first again!!! Hey! Merry Christmas. Also, happy Hanukkah, happy Kwanzaa, Jolly Festivus, and happy Life Day!!! Also, happy gorging season! Happy nom-nom cookie time! Have a great new year too! Thanks for reading us in the RP XP thingy! Oh, we’re gonna have so much fun next year! Love ya!!!!”

KENDRIS, The Jedi Knight
“Tarik, cough it up. I bet you 100 credits that the Twi’lek would use more than 10 exclamation points. I counted 15. Pay up, kid. ….Oh. Happy Life Day, readers. Hope you’re enjoying the column as much as MJ is writing it. Tell your friends, and May the Force be With You.”

WEX, The Trooper
“The greatest thing about the holiday season is that I get to requisition new boots. My feet are killing me. “Climb that hill!” “Stomp that Separatist!” “Kick that Sith in the groin!” It really wears down a man’s feet. Mm! It’s also nice that the shooting stops for a moment at midnight and I get to take these damn boots off. You all take care. Many happy returns. See ya soon!”

TARIK, The Padawan
“Anyone know what to get a Twi’lek girl for Life Day? I wanted to get her these really cool braids that go around her lekku, but I don’t know if it’s too pricey. I just gave half my credits to Master Kendris. Can anyone spot me until the new year?”

MISHA VU-DON, The Consular
“It is my pleasure to greet you all as we celebrate the holiday season. May the Force be with you in your endeavors. May you always walk the path of the light and seek knowledge where others only wallow in ignorance.”

KENDRIS, The Jedi Knight (again)
“Tarik, you’ll never be a Jedi if you keep chasing those head tails. You should step away from the Twi’lek girl and concentrate on your Force meditations.”

JENLA RUF, The Imperial Agent
“Hey! What’s the big idea of the Jedi taking cuts and posting twice! That’s a kreffing load of crap! And what’s the “Life Day” BS? You guys DO realize it’s a Wookiee holiday, right? And it only comes once every three years? It doesn’t become more ‘Christmas-like’ for thousands of years. It’s a celebration of kreffing trees! Get off it!”

YULEL, The Smuggler (again)
“Jeez, agent, bitter much?”

TARIK, The Padawan (again)
“She’s just mad because she’s stuck on Hutta. Yulie, do you like sweaters? What’s your size?”

JENLA RUF, The Imperial Agent (again)
“Someone tell the trooper to put his boots back on. It smells like rotting Bantha meat in here. And as for you, Twi’lek, back off, or we’ll tie you to a chair and beat you bloody again!”

YULEL, The Smuggler (again, again)
“Um, hey, Jenny. This is all only fiction. That was stage blood. And does your Mandalorian boyfriend know you like tying Twi’lek girls to chairs? …Should I tell him?”

BOARSCH, The Bounty Hunter
“Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha haaaaaa. Mega LoLz and Rofls!”

YULEL, The Smuggler (again, again, again)
“*Snort* When the Chiss agent blushes she turns purple! Ha haaa!”

JENLA RUF, The Imperial Agent (for the final time)
“You should talk, Twi’lek whose skin is the colour of Hutt sewage!”

TARIK, The Padawan (again)
“Ohhhhhh, I get it. She spells color with a ‘u’ because she’s got an Imperial accent. Haaa! That’s clever.”

YULEL, The Smuggler (againx4)
“*Snort*”

BOARSCH, The Bounty Hunter (for real this time)
“Ha haa….. Anyway… Happy holidays, everyone. I hope your blaster fires true. I hope you get everything you want. And I hope the spirit of giving is alive and well with you and all your friends and family!”

VEETHA, The Sith Apprentice
“Should we be concerned that the Mandalorian is playing the ‘heart of gold’ card? Um… Anyway, happy Wookiee Day or whatever.”

DARTH TAGIOUS, The Sith Marauder
“Once again…. Do not look at me.”

YULEL, The Smuggler (yet again for the fifth time)
“You Sith guys need to lighten up around the holidays. Don’t you celebrate anything? Come on… Try wearing something besides black, red and purple. You look like a gay emo grunge band.”

VEETHA, The Sith Apprentice (again)
“Shall I kill the Twi’lek, master? Please? May I, please?”

DARTH TAGIOUS, The Sith Marauder (again)
“I. Am. Trying. To. Stay. In. Character!”

LORD SHUNDRAX, The Sith Inquisitor
“I actually celebrate the Freedon Nadd day. It’s the birthday of Exar Kun’s teacher and a time of celebration around our home.”

YULEL, The Smuggler (ok, I’m going to stop counting now)
“Cool! See, Darth. You guys can lighten up if you put your mind to it. What kinds of stuff do you do on Freedom Nad day?”

LORD SHUNDRAX, The Sith Inquisitor
“It’s ‘FreedoN NaDD,’ and we typically go down to the cells and randomly execute a prisoner using our combined Force Storm abilities. It’s amusing to watch the purple lightning dance around their writhing bodies as they blister.”

WEX, The Trooper (again)
“Ah… That did it. Yulel has left the building. Mmmmmmm, these new boots feel SO good.”

Whatever you celebrate, may your holiday be warm and joyous! And, if you don’t celebrate anything, my staff recommends “Freedon Nadd Day.”

See you in swtor! Now go log in and create a story! Then… write to me and tell me about it! I’d like to add more of YOUR great RP moments, questions and ideas to the column in 2012.

((The RP XP with MJ)) appears right here on swtor-life.com every Friday (EVEN ON HOLIDAYS!). MJ is swtor-life’s RP columnist and an editor for swtor-life.com and swtor-spy.com (“I not only work for swtor-life and swtor-spy, I use them as my sole source of all my swtor needs!”). You can contact him directly with questions, comments, RP invites or column ideas at swtorliferp@gmail.com. You can follow him on Twitter @MJswtor.

Tags: Holiday, Roleplay, RP, RP XP with MJ, RPers

((The RP XP with MJ #17))

“Hutta is wonderful this time of year if you don’t inhale too deeply,” the bounty hunter chuckled as he escorted the imperial agent past the palace of Nem’ro the Hutt.

Jenla smirked. “Why the hell did you bring me here, Boarsch? You know how much the Hutts nauseate me.”

Boarsch hid his amusement by pretending to look away from her, concentrating on some activity at the end of a side street. Since the attack against the Jedi and Sith two days ago, Jenla Ruf and Boarsch had been on the run, skirting the outer rim systems and playing hopscotch with the main merchant runs where the Empire and Republic often traded blows. They just arrived on Hutta to re-supply and get work done on the ship. Distant blaster fire marred an otherwise quiet day.

As they turned down a particularly putrid alley rank with the smell of waste, Jenla stopped and held up her hand. “I am not going down there.”

The bounty hunter kept walking as the agent unsteadily glanced back down the main road.

“Did you hear me, Boarsch? I’m not going down there.”

The bulky Mandalorian shrugged under his armored shoulders. “Suit yourself, darling. I’m sure a Chiss woman by herself wearing an Imperial uniform will be just fine standing on the corner all alone.”

Jenla scowled and glanced from side to side, then watched as Boarsch continued down the alley. In a few paces he’d have to turn at the end and vanish from her sight. Looking back toward the spaceport, she saw two Gamorreans with heavy weapons waddling toward them. “Wait. …Boarsch, wait!”

She ran to catch up to him and just touched his arm when a woman jumped out from a doorway and shoved a blaster under the Mandalorian’s jaw.

“Freeze, scum dump!” The woman wore rags that were held together with bandoliers and patchwork bits of armor. Her blond hair was matted where it wasn’t a thatch of tangles and her eyes flared like blue lasers.

Jenla dropped her hand to her sidearm, but that only made the woman push the blaster’s barrel deeper into Boarsch’s throat.

“Just try it, sweetie!” The woman rasped, “And I’ll blow his kreffin’ head off.”

That’s when Boarsch started to laugh.

As Jenla watched, her red eyes wide with amazement, Boarsch simply took the gun from the woman’s hand and embraced her in a big hug, squeezing her tightly around the waist and lifting her off the ground, both of them twirling and laughing like children.

Boarsch said, “Scum dump? Where’d you get that? I almost lost it right there!”

“Oh, Boar, you always were a lousy bluffer.”

Boarsch, his arm around their assailant, spun her toward Jenla, both of them grinning ear to ear. “Jenla Ruf, this is my sister, Margis.”

“Sister,” Jenla sneered. “Really.”

Margis offered her grimy hand. “You must be my brother’s lover. Nice to meet ya. Hope you’re makin’ an honest man of him.”

As an Imperial agent, there were many times Jenla Ruf hated the idea of pulling the trigger. Sometimes it just didn’t feel right, that the target didn’t deserve to die at her hand because she felt like she didn’t know enough about them. But oh, how she wished Margis was her next target. This one target would make up for years of regret.

____

Aww, ain’t that sweet. The bounty hunter took his girlfriend home to meet his sister.

Do you have a sister? Brother? Parent? Uncle?

And by ‘you’ I mean your character. When you reach the coveted “Legacy” level, are you going to RP your characters as siblings or half-siblings? Or, will you seek out the more adventurous route and forge family bonds with another player through RP?

There are some aspects of RolePlay that don’t readily reveal themselves as one of those palm-to-forehead “oh yeah” moments. Typically, you play your creation like a character in a movie or book, going about their daily Jedi or bounty hunter or trooper business without a thought to the current status of their back story. The back story is just filler, after all, something to round out their personality. But how do you give it life and keep it fresh?

I’ve talked before about establishing a background for your character that included things like occupations, lineage and relations, but have you ever thought about the kind of depths you can explore if you RP’d a relationship with another RolePlayer other than companion-at-arms or mate? After all, your background doesn’t just stop. It continues and changes until it catches up to you in the present.

There are a lot of variations of relationships you can easily RP with a friend. Master-Padawan, Lord-Slave and Husband-Wife are just a few of the more obvious ones. But, have you ever thought of RPing a relationship as, well, just a “relation?”

Here are some talking points you can throw out to a friend or RP partner to see if anything clicks.

ALL IN THE FAMILY

Naturally, if you’re going to RP as a parent and child, you’ll need to establish the disparity between the ages. Brothers’ and sisters’ age ranges can vary greatly, as can more distant relationships such as cousins or aunts and uncles, but the age difference between parents and children should make sense. The offspring of a 40 year-old could easily be 20, but consider the math of a 20 year-old parent or a 50 year-old offspring. Find a range that suits both players as you set up your relative connection.

Other things to consider, depending on how closely you’re related, is family resemblance. Fortunately, with only so many options in the character creator, it won’t be hard to make brothers look like brothers. It’s also fortunate that Twi’leks don’t transfer color genetically. A blue-skinned Twi’lek mother could give birth to a red-skinned Twi’lek son. Zabrak and Mirialan facial tattoos are tribal or right-of-passage related and don’t have to match. Check out the lore of your family’s species of choice before rolling up that character.

While you’re weighing your considerations, here are some other possible pairings to get your creative juices flowing:

Father/Son – Dad is a retired trooper who now runs guns for his old Republic buddies. Junior is a chip off the old block and an up-and-coming shooter in Havoc Squad within the Republic Military Machine.

Father/Daughter – Dad is a proud imperial agent whose Force-sensitive daughter is making her way through the trials on Korriban.

Cousins – Both bounty hunters and rivals to the end, both up for the Great Hunt. (And, once you both reach the end of your Great Hunt story line, duke it out with a series of duels between the two of you to claim bragging rights over the other).

Long Lost Siblings – The Jedi woman who bears a striking resemblance to the smuggler at the bar. He knows everything about their family, including the day the Jedi came and took his Force sensitive baby sister.

Half-Brothers – They work together with their own family “junk business” (picking up or crafting bits of this or that to sell on the market).

BLOOD IS THICKER THAN WATER

There are two basic ways to play your family relationship if you just want to look at opposite ends of the spectrum. You and your RP partner can agree from the beginning that you’re bitter rivals, hated each other growing up; or you can be the best of friends, brothers or sisters who stick by each other no matter what, etc.

Those are both good, but what about these “gray” options:

Friendly Rivalry – Not bitter or hurtful at all, but you compete with each other like angry Gundarks fighting over a bone.

Clean Slate – You’ve been separated for so long and now you have a lot of catching up to do. Let the chips fall where they may.

Jealousy & Suspicion – “Mom always liked you better” vs. “Dad is the one who got you admitted to the Academy.” Played with subtle jabs between the two but never angrily or vindictively.

Caustic Love Triangle – Two brothers in love with the same woman. It would be even more interesting if a third player took the role of the woman played between the two formerly-close sibs.

ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES

The great thing about having an RP’d family is that you can feed off of each other’s epic stories. Not only can you help each other in game with quests and Heroics, you can also work together on each other’s RolePlay adventures.

You can still have the “relationship RP” that leads to an in-game marriage, but imagine how much more fun a simple in-game ceremony would be with a parent who doesn’t agree with the relationship, or the untrusting sister who wants to steal the groom, or the uncle with the credentials as a ship captain (like a Smuggler, for instance) who can actually perform the ceremony for you.

FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS

As you get deeper into your role in Star Wars: The Old Republic and your character starts to take on a mind and voice of their own, consider the possibilities and dimensions you can explore with friends willing to make familial connections between your characters. Your own character’s life will suddenly be more rich and more alive with the entire existence of another person attached to them by virtual blood.

And, if you both happen to play out the Legacy system with the “surname” option on, imagine how extensive your in-game family would be if you joined together as half-siblings or through marriage.

TEST IT FIRST… ON CAPTAIN SOLO

Are you an SRPer? Do you “Solo” your RP? Are you a “Creative PVEer?” Maybe you haven’t met anyone in the game yet who will RP with you regularly. Maybe you’re too shy to go “Fishing” (See RP XP with MJ #16 for tips on how to snag an RP). Maybe you have a bunch of friends in the game, but they all want to PvP or speed level to get that all-important invisible checkered flag so they can start complaining that there’s nothing left to do.

You can create multiple characters who are related to each other and play out the ideas in your own mind to add depth to your SRP or PVE. How each character reacts to the in-game environment might have an effect on your inter-character relationships, or vice versa.

For example, I have a bounty hunter who is looking for his daughter. She ran off with an Imperial officer ten years ago and he hasn’t seen her since. Since then, he has become embittered against the Empire and every in-game decision I make with him furthers or feeds off that attitude. His daughter, meanwhile, is an Imperial agent. She’s stubborn, self-centered, cocky, bullheaded and wants absolutely nothing to do with her father. Consequently, she keeps clear of older men who remind her of him and that’s reflected in my in-game decisions as well.

See. Even if you don’t have an RP partner, you can have fun with RPing your own legacy.

Now go log in and tell a story!

((The RP XP with MJ)) is published every Friday right here on swtor-life.com. MJ is a long-time RPer and GM with a history that dates back to tabletops and dice. If you have any ideas, comments or questions, or if you want to run an RP scenario by him, feel free to contact him directly at swtorliferp@gmail.com. Oh, and follow him on Twitter: @MJswtor. Don’t forget, the next Q&A column is #20. Get your Qs in now if you want some As.

Tags: Legacy, Roleplay, roleplayers. rp xp with mj, roleplaying, RP