[Game Help] Roleplay

Shattered Kingdoms is a mud where roleplaying is emphasized. While you 
are here, you are expected to "get into" your character, to act and 
speak and dress as he or she would.

When you log into Shattered Kingdoms, you are assuming the life and 
personality of a unique character and immersing yourself into his or 
her fantasy world. While SK is a game for you, Pyrathia is your 
character's reality, and it should be conveyed in all of your actions 
and interactions. This means keeping in mind such things as alignment 
race, and class.

There is an expectation on Shattered Kingdoms that your alignment is 
the MOST important aspects of your character. Religious convictions 
ALWAYS trump political matters, and personal relationships come last 
in this string of hierarchy. When in doubt, use this visual aid to 
determine whether your character's roleplay is acceptable or not in 
the context of Shattered Kingdoms.

alignment > religion > faction > friendships

Alignment in Shattered Kingdoms is less of a concept and much more a 
reality. In the real world, it is hard to believe that anyone could 
truly be "good" or "evil," but in Pyrathia, these are real and solid 
entities. They are governed by the gods through their spheres of 
influence. Ignoring auras and alignments is INAPPROPRIATE for players 
of both good and evil characters. While selfish characters might not 
place any importance on the condition of another's heart, there must 
be some acknowledgment of the struggle between light and darkness by 
characters with both good and evil characters. While evil characters 
have more leeway with motives and outcomes, they are responsible for 
properly playing their alignment just as are good ones.

Please note that the immortals can and will judge you for the way you 
roleplay your character. You may be rewarded or penalized for the 
quality (or lack thereof) of your roleplay, though the possible 
rewards are not the only reason that players should embrace their 
characters with gusto: When all characters are fully engaged in the 
world of Pyrathia, it creates a more satisfying gaming experience for 
all players.

Shattered Kingdoms offers a multitude of valid race and class 
combinations, and all players are expected to adhere to these options 
in letter and spirit. Your imagination may be generously applied to 
these concepts, but please remember that your character's alignment, 
race, and even class take precedence over any plot you may dream up 
out of character. What you might do in a situation and what your 
character would do are often very different, and you must choose the 
latter in ALL instances while playing Shattered Kingdoms.

A few examples of good and poor roleplaying follow. This is by no
means an exhaustive list, especially as people's views on roleplaying 
will differ, but this may give you an idea of some things to look for 
or to avoid.

Good RP:
 --  a principled character giving money or items to a beggar
 --  a cleric preaching the word of his/her Deity to others
 --  having debates with people of opposing views, rather than 
     attacking on sight
 --  a diabolic character being as willing to hurt friends as enemies
 --  a barbarian being wary of (or even refusing) arcane and divine 
     magics


Poor RP:
 --  using out-of-character (OOC) information for in-character (IC) 
     purposes
 --  spending much time OOC ...this is a roleplaying mud, not a chat 
     channel
 --  power-levelling (spending all of your time training, rather than
     roleplaying with others)
 --  not behaving respectfully in the presence of -any- immortal, 
     even one whose spheres of influence you may not agree with...they 
     are gods, after all (see: conduct)
 --  a paladin or hellion attacking without having issued a challenge 
     (see: principled aberrant vow code)
 --  placing the demands of your faction over the convictions of your 
     alignment or god
 --  using modern colloquial conversation in the game world; this is
     inappropriate for the sake of immersive play

See also: alignment enmity religion faction