Roleplaying FAQ

What is RP?
RP (role playing) is the act of taking the persona of a character in a particular setting upon yourself.
Isn't Guild Wars already an RPG? What gives...?
In a role-playing game, the player takes on the role of a character. However, this does not mean that the player gets to create the character. Role playing is the act of giving life to the character.
How can I role-play in Guild Wars?
You can utilize the online nature of Guild Wars, and role-play a character with someone else in the game, using the chat channels as communication dialogs.
Where can I find other role-players?
There are many people who play Guild Wars, and role-play on a regular basis. There are even whole guilds and alliances in Guild Wars dedicated to role-playing. See the links and forum sections of this site to connect with them.
Where do people RP?
People can RP anywhere in Guild Wars, or even outside of Guild Wars (ie. in a forum). Typically, however, RP is common in international districts that are easily accessible by beginning players, and in guild halls.
What's the deal with IC/OOC?
IC (in character) is the designation given to a conversation which is meant to be in a role-playing situation between actual characters in the Guild Wars universe. OOC (out of character) is the designation given to a conversation that is between real-life individuals playing Guild Wars.
Do I have to RP all the time?
No. Depending on the guild or alliance you are a member of, you may designate OOC chat using special delimeters like "((this is OOC chat))". And of course, if you are with individuals who aren't expecting you to RP, you may chat OOC as normal.
Is there such a thing as RP etiquette?
Yes. As with any community, a unique culture has formed around role-playing in Guild Wars. Most rules of etiquette are common sense. For instance, killing is discouraged. Others are more subtle. For instance, it is often not appropriate to meta-game (use the Guild Wars application to gain information about people and places, like their name). See the articles section of this site for more details.
What do people RP about?
Anything. There are many RP styles, including story-driven, relaxed or casual, strict or purist, etc. Depending on how you prefer to craft your character, you may find yourself in an RP situation, involving just about anything. Typical conversations center around Guild Wars lore (Prince Rurik was just what Ascalon needed! Such a tragedy. *shakes head sadly*) or character plots (My friend, <so-and-so> once defeated twelve charr by herself!). See the articles section of this site for more details.
Are there RP events, where I can meet people?
Yes. MnGs (meet and greets) are recurring events where people regularly gather to practice RP and meet new people. These events were quite common when Guild Wars was young. It has become difficult to locate such events lately. However, you can find a schedule of events on this site, which documents any known events for the role-playing community. Also, you can post a message on the forum, if you are really itching to meet people. Often, several peple will be interested in having an ad-hoc event just for fun.