MMO Roleplaying When Real Life Kind Of Sucks
Winter is rough for a lot of people. Short days, miserable weather and that creeping sense of loneliness can make everything feel a bit heavier. For many PC gamers though, massively multiplayer online games are more than just a way to pass the time. They can be a lifeline.
One of the most powerful ways this shows up is through roleplaying in MMOs. Not just casually questing while you imagine a vague backstory but full on character driven storytelling with other players. It sounds a little cringe from the outside but for a lot of people it has been genuinely life changing.
Roleplaying in MMOs is basically collaborative writing wrapped in a game world you already love. If you have ever played tabletop games like Dungeons and Dragons you already understand the idea. You create a character, give them a history, a personality and goals, then you interact with other players in character using the game world as your shared stage.
Instead of just min maxing stats or grinding raids, you are exploring what it feels like to be someone else. A weary detective in a fantasy capital city. A travelling merchant trying to stay out of trouble. A zealous paladin or a member of a secretive wizard cabal. It becomes less about loot and more about stories and connections.
How MMO Roleplay Actually Works
Roleplaying in MMOs does not need any custom tools or special servers. It mainly uses the chat box and your imagination. Players pick specific servers and in game hubs where roleplayers gather. In World of Warcraft that might be a city like Stormwind. In Final Fantasy 14 it could be a popular tavern or market district.
From there it is mostly improv writing.
- You speak and act as your character using normal text chat.
- You react to others in character and let scenes develop naturally.
- You respect simple etiquette such as not deciding another character’s injuries or deaths without their consent.
- You build longer story arcs that can last weeks or even months.
These communities do far more than just sit in taverns talking. Players form guilds and groups based around themes. Military companies that run drills and campaigns. Merchant crews that run markets and trade events. Occult circles that investigate strange happenings. All of this is still happening inside the same MMO you already play but with a very different focus.
Modern tools make it even easier. Discord servers act as bulletin boards where people can advertise events, plan adventures, share character art and keep in touch when they are not logged in. As MMOs add more systems for personal expression such as glamours in Final Fantasy 14 or upcoming player housing in World of Warcraft these roleplay stories only get richer. Custom looks, decorated homes and social spaces all become props in an ongoing collaborative story.
For many long time players roleplay has been their gateway into creative hobbies. Writing fan fiction, drawing characters, learning to DM tabletop games and even pursuing careers in writing have all grown out of countless late night sessions being extremely serious about very fictional problems.
Why This Kind Of Play Matters So Much
The power of MMO roleplaying really shows when you look at how it affects people’s real lives. One of the most moving examples is the story of a World of Warcraft player named Mats Steen, known in game as Ibelin. Mats had Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a condition that meant his life would be significantly shortened. He died in 2014 at the age of 25.
Before he passed away though his time in World of Warcraft had a profound impact on dozens of people. As his character Ibelin he played a freelance detective, solving mysteries and helping others in his roleplay community. Out of character he gave emotional support to friends, helped a family better connect with their autistic son and even prevented a serious rift between a girl and her parents.
His friends from the game did not see him as just another name on their friends list. They saw him as a real friend and many of them attended his funeral. A documentary about his life and his roleplay community shows just how real these online connections can be.
For players who have struggled with bullying, isolation or just not having the right people around them growing up, MMO roleplay can be a kind of practice ground for being a person. In a safe fictional space you can explore bravery, kindness, sacrifice and vulnerability. You can experiment with different ways of reacting to conflict. You can test out new parts of your identity without the same pressure you might feel in real life.
Plenty of players discover deep truths about themselves this way. One player only realised how far she had come on her journey toward self acceptance when she noticed that her character’s long running arc of learning self love had slowly become her own. Years of writing those scenes out in a game world had gently trained her to treat herself with more kindness.
Creators in the tabletop space talk about this all the time. Running games and inhabiting characters is like emotional training. You rehearse being the kind of person you want to be. MMO roleplaying works the same way. Traits you admire in your characters have a habit of bleeding into your real life behaviour.
Getting Started With Roleplay In Your Favourite MMO
If any of this sounds even slightly interesting, you do not need to wait for the perfect moment. Pick an MMO you already enjoy or have always wanted to try. World of Warcraft, Final Fantasy 14, Guild Wars 2 and Star Wars The Old Republic all have active roleplay communities.
- Search for roleplay focused Discord servers and community hubs.
- Create a simple character concept. Do not overthink it. You can flesh it out as you go.
- Learn basic etiquette by reading pinned messages or guides in those communities.
- Show up to events, introduce your character and be willing to improvise.
You do not have to be an amazing writer or performer. Everyone starts a bit awkward. The important part is being open to connecting with others. As MMOs keep leaning harder into social features and personalisation the space for creative roleplay is only going to grow.
If you are feeling lonely or stuck, logging into an MMO and letting yourself be a little cringe with strangers might feel scary. It might also quietly become one of the most meaningful parts of your gaming life. Underneath the memes and edgy characters there is something very real happening. People are learning who they are by pretending to be someone else for a while. And for a lot of us, especially when things are tough, that is exactly what we need.
Original article and image: https://www.pcgamer.com/games/mmo/ive-been-roleplaying-in-mmorpgs-like-wow-for-16-years-its-the-reason-im-here-writing-this-headline-and-theres-never-been-a-better-time-to-try-it-out-yourself/
