Post by Morreion on Aug 5, 2010 7:57:45 GMT -5
15 Minutes of Fame: Herding roleplayers with a feather (WoW.com)
The popular saying about leading a raiding guild is that it's somewhat like herding cats with a feather. Imagine then, if you will, tickling players through day-to-day game life amidst the friction of potentially volatile in-character roleplaying. Arialynn, the GM of <Templars of the Rose> on Earthen Ring (US-RP), leads an established troupe of roleplayers that's spent the Wrath era not besieging Arthas but running medieval-style market days in Dustwallow Marsh. Headquartered in Theramore Harbor, the Templars most assuredly exemplify the road less traveled, both literally and figuratively.
What's it like to lead a guild that spends more time tossing back stiff ones in the inn than it does wrestling with Defile before the Frozen Throne?
Main character Arialynn
Guild <Templars of the Rose>
Realm Earthen Ring (US-A)
15 Minutes of Fame: How would you describe the Templars and the kind of things it does to the typical, non-RPing WoW player?
Arialynn: The <Templars of the Rose> is a medium-heavy roleplay guild, meaning that we roleplay spontaneous events or thick-and-gritty storylines. We hold a weekly tavern in Ironforge called the Mug & Sandvich and a twice-a-month event called the Harbor Market, which is best described as an in-character farmer's market.
The guild itself is a neutral but Alliance-aligned guild that prefers killing Scourge and Legion instead of chasing after Horde. As you can imagine, Cataclysm means several things for us when it comes to fun and tension; we've definitely been raking in the plot benefits of new hate between the Horde and Alliance.
Like many guilds, we still PvE and PvP often, but roleplay is the central focus. Many players come from a wealth of roleplay experience from tabletop or other MMOs; other members are brand new and catching on fast.
What's it like to lead a guild that spends more time tossing back stiff ones in the inn than it does wrestling with Defile before the Frozen Throne?
Main character Arialynn
Guild <Templars of the Rose>
Realm Earthen Ring (US-A)
15 Minutes of Fame: How would you describe the Templars and the kind of things it does to the typical, non-RPing WoW player?
Arialynn: The <Templars of the Rose> is a medium-heavy roleplay guild, meaning that we roleplay spontaneous events or thick-and-gritty storylines. We hold a weekly tavern in Ironforge called the Mug & Sandvich and a twice-a-month event called the Harbor Market, which is best described as an in-character farmer's market.
The guild itself is a neutral but Alliance-aligned guild that prefers killing Scourge and Legion instead of chasing after Horde. As you can imagine, Cataclysm means several things for us when it comes to fun and tension; we've definitely been raking in the plot benefits of new hate between the Horde and Alliance.
Like many guilds, we still PvE and PvP often, but roleplay is the central focus. Many players come from a wealth of roleplay experience from tabletop or other MMOs; other members are brand new and catching on fast.
Is there a trick to keeping an entire guild full of RPers moving in the same general direction? I'm sure it can't be simple helping integrate players who are new to RPing online to a group of experienced RPers.
It actually grew easier overtime. Why? Because those who were new to roleplay caught on and were warm and receiving to the new roleplayers who took their place. Having a mix of both is an amazing blessing, and it's surprising how D&D-oriented some of our events can be, simply because several Templars still enjoy the feeling of d20s in their hand.
What it really does is introduce a variety of experience and ideas for events. We've run some completely free-form events such as the Harbor Market, when you simply show up and play the part of a bustling, medieval-style market with little to no rules, and we've hosted smaller events hosted by what's best described as a Warcraft dungeon master. The Mug, as it is affectionately called, is a tavern with actual regulars and the occasional kitchen fire. The D&D events and the Mug stemmed from Templars with ideas. Market itself was originally inspired by an idle comment made on our web site.
The idea is to keep the field open to anyone with an idea and help them run with it. It takes initiative, but the idea is to play a game. That is also a rule in Templars: Make the game fun.
The final trick is to take chances. Recruit someone you're not sure about, and see what happens. You'll find that some of the most surprising players come in this sort of package.
It actually grew easier overtime. Why? Because those who were new to roleplay caught on and were warm and receiving to the new roleplayers who took their place. Having a mix of both is an amazing blessing, and it's surprising how D&D-oriented some of our events can be, simply because several Templars still enjoy the feeling of d20s in their hand.
What it really does is introduce a variety of experience and ideas for events. We've run some completely free-form events such as the Harbor Market, when you simply show up and play the part of a bustling, medieval-style market with little to no rules, and we've hosted smaller events hosted by what's best described as a Warcraft dungeon master. The Mug, as it is affectionately called, is a tavern with actual regulars and the occasional kitchen fire. The D&D events and the Mug stemmed from Templars with ideas. Market itself was originally inspired by an idle comment made on our web site.
The idea is to keep the field open to anyone with an idea and help them run with it. It takes initiative, but the idea is to play a game. That is also a rule in Templars: Make the game fun.
The final trick is to take chances. Recruit someone you're not sure about, and see what happens. You'll find that some of the most surprising players come in this sort of package.
