RPing Romance

[Morreion]

All the World's a Stage: What's love got to do with it (WoW.com)

"Love stories are hard. I think they're actually the hardest story to roleplay successfully. It's incredibly easy to take your roleplay in the direction of a sticky-sweet romance. And then, for everyone of those stories I've seen, I've equally seen a cold, hard, son-of-Illidan whose heart was torn asunder, and he wil no longer be capable of love."

All the World's a Stage: Intimate relationships between characters (WoW.com)

"If both players decide that they want to let their characters become intimate, then you absolutely have to agree on how you're going to describe that activity. You can keep the description at a high level, simply agree that it took place without engaging in any description, or pursue any other method you might prefer."

All the World's a Stage: Maintaining your barriers (WoW.com)

"Keeping your real name to yourself introduces one of the first barriers between you and others. It's a very subtle but powerful way of communicating to other players that you're portraying a character. You're playing out this romance with the same distance an author keeps between himself and the novel. This is not an escapist way for you to live vicariously through your character. (And, hey, if it is, more power to you. That's just not the case we're talking about here.)"

Storyboard: Anyone else but you (Massively)

"Even if you truly hate planning things out in advance, at least do a little bit of pre-emptive planning. Even a general sense of where you want the romance to go can often be sufficient. At the very least, it establishes boundaries for the relationship and makes it clear what's motivating any and all changes. The slight lack of suspense is a more than fair trade."

[dotty]

Ugh! I've had soo much trouble with this. I seem to have some bad luck of running into several guys that 'fell in love' at the drop of a hat. Then they got clingy and whiny. <grumbles to herself about men>

[sinaedh]

Finally a topic at which I'm expert!

I once was a dragon in AOL chat (Red Dragon Inn). Well, technically, I still am, from time to time. And almost every dragon I've been has been mated, eventually. I researched dragon mating by watching the Discovery Channel specials on Komodo dragons and other reptiles. Sometimes the 'relationship' worked out, sometimes not.

Sinaedh was married 3 times. Other characters that I've had dabble in occasional dalliance, but no others have been married. I sort of feel gunshy now about character relationships, though I'd have to say that Sinaedh worked out ok... the marriages gave me story material (some that I still have in my head, not written (probably some are glad about that)).

Sinaedh's first marriage was to a (smite) cleric who swept her off her feet. She was young, naive, and he was a known philanderer. Somehow her innocence turned him around, and he spent many hours with her. His player even wrote some with me, which we posted on the guild site (he joined the guild, even though the main leader didn't much like him). www.ergreenman.com/albionstorytelling/bedofvows.html But the game turns, and he stopped playing (as far as I know; that's what he told me), and Sinaedh was lost and confused. His disappearance was about as much drama fodder as one storyteller could ask for. www.ergreenman.com/albionstorytelling/precipice.html

Her second was a scout. I'm not sure there was much to this marriage, except the scout accepted Sinaedh's illegitimate child (born of a time of imprisonment in Midgard) and looked somewhat like her first husband (these were the days of old DAOC character models, after all ). At any rate, he also stopped playing, and... yes, she was alone again.

The third was Sinaedh's most successful marriage, and might have continued, except that Mythic released TOA and NF, and... well, many decided not to play any more, and her third husband was among them. www.ergreenman.com/albionstorytelling/wallsend.html

So.... does romance have a part in roleplay? I'd have to say yes. If the characters are portrayed as 'real', then 'real' people (or beings, or whatever) fall in love. Can it be touchy? Hell yes!

As far as cyber (and you all should know, we were convinced that Hibernia was THE cyber realm!), that happens, and I'm sure it's for various reasons. Should it happen? Hm... I'm of divided opinion. I often think no... many cannot handle it (even those who think they can). And truly, there is no reason for it (other than the enjoyment we as humans get from sex). In AOL, many called this 'vaporing'. People were married and had children as the result of sex acts that were never roleplayed in gory detail. In addition, there's the danger of involving a child (player) in graphic acts... which is a horrific thought to me.

But then again, humans do find enjoyment in sex. Sex begins in the brain, after all, and that's where storytelling starts also. So should we deny that? Sex exists in movies, in books... and in games.

So... I think romance certainly does have a place in roleplay. But it needs to be done well (duh, as all roleplay). And as for the graphic sex act... well, I can understand why it happens. I think, for myself, that I'll shy away from that for now.

[Morreion]

Remembering back to DAoC, I can think of all sorts of fun (and pitfalls) of this experience involving not keeping a distance between IC and OOC. I could tell all sorts of stories! Hibernia was the realm for that indeed *laughs*

[Regolyth]

Nov 14, 2010 20:31:14 GMT -5 sinaedh said:

As far as cyber (and you all should know, we were convinced that Hibernia was THE cyber realm!)...

Hahaha! Is that what people thought of us?

Well, I can't say it wasn't true. There were some crazy mistells throughout the alliance.

[Loendal]

None of my characters were ever married in DAOC. Popo was too childlike and Eagis was too much of an asshole and those were my two main characters in Nimue. The closest relationship I had in DAOC was Popo with Elethea and it never went so far as romance. I intentionally kept him childlike and that kinda thing just doesn't fit there.

However, have you met my real world wife yet? * points at Elethea *

[Morreion]

Nov 17, 2010 16:13:15 GMT -5 Regolyth said:

Hahaha! Is that what people thought of us?

Well, I can't say it wasn't true. There were some crazy mistells throughout the alliance.

*laughs* I ought to do a post on mistells! I had a few awkward ones, though I couldn't find that particular one you refer to, Rego. I'm sure that doesn't bother you!

Elethea is awesome, Loendal

[Regolyth]

Haha... it wasn't my MT Gack, it's just one I remember coming across the alliance channel. Let's just say it was at the climax of the conversation.

[elethea]

Without going into all the gory details, I found role-play romance to be a lot of fun, and it gave me some great opportunities writing-wise. Unfortunately, for me at least, it led to Elethea being treated like a piece of property or worse. So, after one attempt at marriage and couple of romances, which ended up creating a trio of very disturbing stalkers for Elethea both ic and ooc, I was more than happy for her to take on the role of Popo's adopted companion/sister type role.

Still, if I could persuade my lovely and very sane other half to help create some fabulously epic couple to role-play, things would be different, I'm sure. (hint hint) ;D

[Morreion]

Whoa, a trio of stalkers!

I knew someone else in DAoC who had that issue...I wonder if that is more common than one would think...yeesh