Hello, everyone. Some of you know me as a brand new guy who just showed up. Others may remember me from years and years and years ago. I’ve had a really great experience with this site and there are a lot of cool new things going on, but I wanted to throw in my two cents about what I feel like makes this game such a fantastic and unique opportunity. There are some other great posts providing roleplay guidelines, but I wanted to try to introduce others to something I enjoy.

I want to talk about roleplaying your character: both why to do it and some tips about how to best accomplish that goal. So first up is why. When you play an MMO or a console game, in almost every case a button you push corresponds to a previously programmed action. Sometimes, like in RP friendly MMORPGs, you have lots of possibilities and some limited ability to narrate (although actions don't always correspond). Other games, you don' t even have that. But in a text based RPG like this, you’re not limited by mechanics- just by your imagination and reasonable expectations. To get the most out of this game, you can’t just be a button pusher. Pushing those buttons is extremely important, of course, but if  that's all you're doing you could be missing a big part of what this game has to offer. 

This game lets you BE a character and write your own story; why not take advantage of that relatively unique opportunity?

I enjoy roleplaying a character, but I’m far from omniscient when it comes to this subject. I have previous characters that I’m really proud of in some instances; other times I find myself cringing as I see myself going against some of the advice I’m about to share. So if you’ve had experience, please share any tips to help improve the collection of knowledge here. And if you’ve had positive experiences roleplaying, please share them here as well to encourage others!

First, proceeding briefly in Aquinas-style, some common counterarguments:

#1 I did it once or twice, and it wasn’t fun.

Well, try it with different people! The people are the biggest factor; think of the other activities you enjoy and how that enjoyment would increase/decrease depending on the people involved. Or if you put something out there and no one responded, make sure you arrange something beforehand next time.

#2 I’m not a good writer.

You don’t need to be Shakespeare, just decent enough to make it work- a level attainable by everyone. It may take a little bit of effort, but you’ll also be developing an extremely valuable skill for life. Not a bad perk!

#3 I don’t want to.

Well, okay. You definitely don’t have to. Everyone has their own particular cup of tea and that's fine. The only thing I’d throw out there is that there are degrees of roleplaying. You could ease into it in a small way; you don’t necessarily have to start posting giant stories right off the bat. And you might really enjoy it, so why not invest a small amount of time and give it a shot?

Roleplaying tips

The Most Important Thing

Every single person here, even the person you consider great, had to learn at some point. Don’t be afraid to speak up, to ask for help or advice, and to put yourself out there. Occasionally someone will be a jerk, but the vast majority of people would love to help you. So it can be a little intimidating at first, but get started! Then someday, you’ll help someone else out. If you don’t feel comfortable mixing it up in the streets right away, then maybe ease yourself in. Perhaps a hidden place like mobmail or a back alley? Then, perhaps, a more secluded (but still public) venue like the HQ or the business district, although I might arrange a meeting with the owner if you have a particular shop in mind.  The point is that you don’t have to go 0 to 60- ease yourself in!

Character Creation

Create a unique character: someone who is different than you or any of your previous characters. This will help make the game a little fresher every time, since it’ll be a different story every time. Character creation is a big part of roleplay; it’ll give you the blueprint to follow and help guide what sort of stories you’ll be telling. So what sort of things should you consider when creating a character?

Basics: Age, gender, race, nationality, experience in the world of crime, area of expertise (Doctor? Lawyer? Mechanic? Killer? Gambler? Earner? Any of a million other possibilities?). All of these factors can provide for new experiences. A smooth talking, well read male Italian lawyer in his 50s who specializes in helping criminals in court will feel a lot different than a 20 year old uneducated Irish woman who has a knack for fixing cars- and serving as a getaway driver. If we were strictly 1930s mafia, the vast, vast, vast majority would be Italian men- but the site has evolved to a broader “mafia” including women and other nationalities. (And occasionally more extreme deviations.)

Motivation: What motivates your character and makes them get up in the morning? Money? Revenge? Power? Control?

Arc: Some people like to just see what happens. Others like to plan out of a rough arc for their character. Where is your character starting out as a Gangster? How will they change by the time they’re a Consigliere?

Appearance: What does your character look like? A profile picture can be helpful to give other players an idea of your character. Do they have any defining physical traits? Something that makes them stand out? An object that they carry (and does this object have a particular meaning)? How does your character dress?

Skills: What is your character good at? Note that your character doesn’t need to roll right off the assembly line as the finished product. For example, if you have a character who’s stealthy- a cat burglar type… great! But isn’t it better to show their journey? Sure, they might be nimble, quick, and lived on the streets so they know their way around, but they don’t have to start out as one of the top thieves in the world? Show their progress! I’ve also found it interesting to pick an area of expertise you either already have or would like to learn more about. So if you, the player, are really into guns as a personal hobby, maybe your character provides guns for the family and you can utilize your expertise? Maybe you're really into wine? Or art? Or cars? Or another language? Or anything? What do you already know that could give your character more depth? OR what would you not mind researching to provide that depth?

Flaws: But Keats, you say, I don’t want my character to have flaws! Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Flaws are what make people interesting.  Roleplaying as the perfect Mafioso gives you so much less to work with. Think about how much more interesting Batman’s fights are compared to Superman’s. Theoretically, anyone idiot could seriously wound Batman in the right circumstances. Superman literally only has one weakness. You could even substitute a human who is not a billionaire genius Olympic level athlete to make that point even better. Vulnerability- emotional OR physical, makes characters more interesting, not less interesting. Personally, I’ve been guilty of this with previous characters. So if you have a character who is brilliant at making money- organizational skills, business leadership, etc. – perhaps they’re too reticent or ineffective when it comes to taking physical action. Or maybe your tough gangster has a drinking problem that isn’t just window dressing- it actually impedes them. If you pick something serious, that would affect your readers- that’s not necessarily a bad thing, but you need to make sure you do your research and write respectfully and in an informed manner. When you have a character who is perfect (aka god modding) it’s not interesting for you- or the people you’re writing with. Our imperfections are what makes us (and your character!) interesting. And note that your character doesn't have to stay flawed forever; you can show them overcoming their imperfections over time.

Roleplaying in Action

Realism: Some people adhere to this better than others. First, this means remembering that we’re set in the 1930s, so avoid anachronisms. So no cell phones, rocket launchers, etc. You can provide good details by researching period-accurate elements to incorporate. My internet search history, which is probably very confusing to the NSA, is full of things like “Irish Easter Rising 1916”, “pistols in the 1930s”, “knives of World War I”, “cars of the early 1930s”, and “does shooting someone through a pillow actually act as a silencer”.  In addition to being accurate, realism also means being realistic in what your character can do. You can’t know what other characters are thinking. You can’t know immediately where the bag of cash is hidden, unless you can take us through your character’s thought process to get there. You can’t get shot 12 times and proceed to kill your assailants with your bare hands… and definitely not if you’re a Goomba. Be a person- a skilled person, perhaps, but a person. Abuse of this is called "god-modding"; google it for more details!

Be generous: If you’re writing with someone and you describe 3 gangsters walking into a bar, don’t write about how you handle all three of them every single time. Sometimes roleplay is like volleyball. Occasionally, you get to slam home a spike for the win. Other times, you’re setting up someone else. Not only does it feel good to be generous, but you’ll often see your writing partners return the favor when they understand you’re not just racing to have your character solve every problem.

Build continuity: Did your character get sliced in the face during a previous story? Give them a scar now. That's an extreme example, but your character should be affected by what they experience during their journey. Did a beloved friend die? Perhaps your character has a memento that he or she takes out and observes from time to time.

Distinguishing text: Most roleplayers use some sort identifier, like italics, to clarify between speech and action. Personally, I use italics for everything except speech, which is normal text. There’s no strict rule about this, but it’s helpful to do something to consistently distinguish between speech and action/thinking.

Storytelling vs. Group writing: Sometimes, you’ll feel the need to tell a particular story- to control the narrative. In that case, it’s fine to write a longer story for the streets. However, you should be acting out the story in character, acting out the actual process of writing it down, or directly telling your story to someone else. The first is the most common, and the biggest piece of advice I could give you there is to end your story where someone else could come in. That way, even if you’re telling a story about how you killed so and so, end it walking into a bar or down the sidewalk or passing out in the park- anywhere where someone else could theoretically pick up the thread. That’s with a more “single player” experience. Writing with a group can be more time consuming as you take turns posting, but it’s also more exciting and (generally) rewarding. Find the balance between the two that works for you… and why not do both?

The Passage of Time: This can be a tricky subject and different people handle it in varying ways. As your character grows and develops, it’s obvious that some time should pass. There have been characters who began their careers as 15-16 year old thugs and ended it as distinguished crewleaders who not only had children, but grandchildren. I solve this problem by, as my character ages, pushing everything backwards in time. So, for example, I had a character who fought in the Great War before returning to the States and starting his criminal career- he was around 28 when I began. As time passed, he eventually reached an age where I bumped his early military service back to the Spanish-American war so that'd it make more sense. The important events in his story stayed the same, but their location in time was made more fluid and pushed backwards. Honestly- as long as you stay consistent, do whatever works for you. I’m interested in seeing what other people have developed here.

Some Helpful Resources

The HIGHLY recommended definitive MR guide to the  mechanics of RP: https://mafiareturns.com/comm/thread/3908

A guide to different possible methods of  storytelling: http://mafiareturns.com/comm/thread/61875#17468040

Two good sites for 1930s knowledge, taken from the comments of the street posting standards thread, with more tips included, found here: http://mafiareturns.com/comm/thread/67661#130127556

The first, shared by JackMacleod: http://www.paper-dragon.com/1939/intro.html

The second, shared by Flying_bear: http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/1930s.html

Final Thoughts

As I said earlier, I'm sure there's much more that can be included here. If you've enjoyed roleplaying in the past, please share some tips of your own! Even if you don't have anything to add, please express your support for roleplaying in general. I firmly believe that the more people focus on the storytelling aspect of this game- being a character and telling their story- the more they'll enjoy the game. 

Have fun out there!

People don't RP because there's no reason to RP. And even when they write out stories and such it's not real role play; you're just writing stories about your character, not making decisions in the mind of your character. When you start writing a story and when you finish, your character remains exactly the same. Perhaps a few more points in vision based on how long it was, but more or less the same.

Despite having a permanent death feature, the same "characters" come back each generation. No one actually plays the role of a Mafioso. They're playing themselves, as if they were around a board game or at an arcade. Write as many stories as you want, that aspect of this game will remain unchanged. It suits our self-interest to play as ourselves rather than as a character, so that's precisely what we do.

Aristides,

I assume that the lack of a relationship between RP and mechanics is what you mean by "there's no reason to RP". In other words, there's no practical benefit to my character, so why would I do it? I also assume that in saying "your character remains exactly the same" after a story you mean mechanically as well. This is a really intriguing idea. Is there a suggestion to be made here? If so, I'd love to hash out a way for roleplay to affect character growth on the material level. 

I strongly suspect, however, that having roleplay actually mechanically influence a character might be too hard. The quantification of stories into XP, attack, defense, etc. seems not only difficult to code (although I know nothing about coding), but would seemingly be difficult to regulate. So if you RP killing someone in a thread, does your gun get stronger? What if you kill 4 people in a story? Is there a minimum quality that would be required to receive this material bonus? If not, then people are going to spam 5 line stories like crazy. If yes, who is deciding what is "quality" and what isn't and where does one draw the line? I agree with you in theory, but I think it'd be really tough to implement. I'd be curious to hear from others if they have any ideas.

So that's the practical side of myself. The idealist in me wants to point out that people have "no reason" to do many things. Why do people paint if they're not able to sell their paintings? Why do teenagers scribble angst filled poems that no one will ever read? Why does someone sing or dance or act or play music or even watch TV? We're getting a little philosophical here, but I'd argue the only reason people need to RP is that they enjoy it, and I think more people would enjoy it if they gave it a shot- hence this thread. Perhaps you're correct in that I should have spent more time on why people should RP, as opposed to how. I tried to give it an argument, but I also think that people with 0.0% interest in RP wouldn't click on this thread to begin with. I also think that, in this case, the how can somewhat provide the why. A great idea for a character and a desire to tell that character's story is, to me, the best motivation of why to RP. 

I think you're 100% on the mark about many people rerolling the exact same character in every iteration. I'm not sure the game can fix this issue; it's entirely player behavior. I'm not sure how to work around this either, other than trying to make people aware that there is a different way of doing things and doing one's best to lead by example. 

Thanks for the thought provoking response!

I truly did not mean to suggest letting RPs affect player stats; that would be an enormous problem that's easily abused and would ruin the game.

To me, writing RPs just seems goofy. Let me elaborate.

You sign up for a game called "Mafia Returns." According to most of the advertising, you get to do crimes, shoot people, make money, join a crew, and basically behave like a mobster. The action is yours, the reaction is not. That sounds awesome, right? But when you get there, it's more about socializing and grinding than really acting like mobsters. In fact, almost no one actually does anything mobster-like. Yet within this game, this system, there are features available to you to be whatever kind of criminal you want to be, no one does it. Everyone sits back, waiting to strike down anyone ambitious, greedy, or are just too much of a pussy to be ambitious or greedy themselves.

And then someone suggests RPing to you: writing stories about your character acting like a mobster. Doing mobster things like drug deals, murder, rackets, etc. But... Most of the things you write stories about are things you can literally just do in the game. So why not just do them in the game instead of writing about them?

The game is broken down so much now that no one behaves like a criminal. We literally have game suggestions looking for more TRANSPARENCY in our crew funds. Yeah, transparency. In the Mafia. This game's community has completely lost its grasp on the Mafia to such a degree that the only place you can find it is in STORIES. Shit that's not even really happening in the game.

Sorry if I seem angry/insulting, it just seems like every time people bring up this "why aren't people RPing" problem, they're completely blind to what's really going on in the game. Writing about something, for most people playing games, is 1000x less fun than just doing it. If you asked a bunch of Call Of Duty players if they'd rather play call of duty or write about it; how many do you think would be authors? That's what you're asking here. Would you rather play like a mobster or write like it?

I think the stories people really like to tell and hear are the ones that actually happened. So maybe instead of writing RPs we get to making some real fucking stories.

"To me, writing RPs just seems goofy."

You're certainly entitled to your opinion. I want to be clear in saying that, although I believe RP makes this game better, no one should ever be forced to do it. If your thing is just chilling in the coffeeshops and socializing and earning money, do your thing. Whatever floats your boat. But, to continue the metaphor, I believe that a lot of boats will float better by incorporating RP into their gameplay. You'll be more plugged in to your character, and you'll have more fun. 

"According to most of the advertising, you get to do crimes, shoot people, make money, join a crew, and basically behave like a mobster. The action is yours, the reaction is not. That sounds awesome, right? But when you get there, it's more about socializing and grinding than really acting like mobsters."

You certainly get to push buttons that do crimes, shoot people, make money, and join a crew- so it's hardly false advertising. You seem to imply a certain reluctance/inability to snatch power in a bloody coup or go on a murderous rampage- but that's what the game has evolved into, no? With such a large amount of the player base recurring for over a decade and forging social bonds, isn't it expected that "acting like mobsters" would decline? Honest question, because I'm far from the most experienced player here. What existed first- the forums or the button pressing aspect? Or were they simultaneous? Either way, it's not like this used to be an action game that has had all this RP forced into the gameplay. Hasn't this always been an RPG? Again, you have some astute observations here about how the population of the game has changed the way the game is played- but this seems tangentially related to roleplaying. 

"And then someone suggests RPing to you: writing stories about your character acting like a mobster. Doing mobster things like drug deals, murder, rackets, etc. But... Most of the things you write stories about are things you can literally just do in the game. So why not just do them in the game instead of writing about them?"

Isn't this the point of a text based RPG, as opposed to a video game? To be your character through the written word? When you say that stories are "shit that's not even really happening in the game" we're seeing this game from entirely distinct points of view. For many people, interactive storytelling IS the game. Being the character is the game. The buttons serve to earn your character money, or experience, or skill, or whatever.

"Writing about something, for most people playing games, is 1000x less fun than just doing it. If you asked a bunch of Call Of Duty players if they'd rather play call of duty or write about it; how many do you think would be authors? That's what you're asking here. 

And here's where I both agree with you entirely and fundamentally disagree with you. Yes, I think more people would rather play Call of Duty than create interactive stories with other characters roleplaying soldiers. But, to follow your example, if that's what people want from THIS game then why aren't they playing GTA? Or Mafia 2/3? Or the old Godfather games? So yes, 999 people out of a thousand might prefer Call of Duty, but 1/1000 might sacrifice graphics and video for a chance to truly create their own character without being entirely bound to buttons. Those are the sorts of people who turn away from a 50 inch HD TV with Call of Duty and instead look at a computer screen and click a button that says "Clean your rifle"- so they can act as their characters in what they consider a more authentic way. Those are the sorts of people who look at a game like GTA where they can do crimes, shoot people, make money, and behave like a mobster, but instead choose to log on to a browser based game with zero video and barely any pictures- because text based RPGs give you the freedom to create and be a character in a way other games don't.

 I don't think that every single person on this site would love RPing, although many people would like it if they tried. But I consider it a huge part of the game that, for some, is the defining thing that makes this experience special- not a silly "extra" that isn't connected with "the real game". To anyone reading this thread, I encourage you to give it a chance: you have very little to lose, and you could possibly gain something that you'll truly come to appreciate.

I enjoy writing RPs every now and then when all you do is clicks it gets boring eventually. Writing a story about my character keeps me entertained

Keats if I  may . I may have read it quickly , but I did not see a mention of God modding . Which in Rp is a big NO No.  I mention this as I did not see it above or may have missed it . Also I see  lot of people here breaking this rule.  I have been  in RP communities for over 10 years, have not seen as much god modding as I have here.

And for those that think that Rp Is merely writing no it is not. There are many rules that dictate the proper way of Rp and Improper way. Rp in itself is a game.

Godmodding is controlling another player's character, this is against the rules.
Auto-hitting, another form of godmodding is also not allowed.

God Modding (or God Mode) is the act of cheating in a role-play environment. If you feel you have been god modded against, please contact the nearest RP Chat Moderator with evidence of your claims so it can be dealt with.

WHAT IS GOD MODING?

God Mode is a term to cover many things.
1. Auto-killing another character (without prelude to the act)
2. Controlling another character (i.e. their actions, their thought patterns, their facial expressions, etc)
3. Role-playing as an infinite character (Godly, indestructible, without flaw)
4. Never taking hits/dodging impossible-to-dodge attacks
5. Meta-Gaming

WHAT IS META-GAMING?

Meta-Gaming is the act of taking information collected out of character and using it in a role-play. For example, if you meet a character for the first time, until that character tells you their name, your character should not know it, unless they are a King or Queen or famous rock star or someone else just as famous, your character shouldn’t know who they are, therefore won’t be able to greet them with their name. A username is out of character, so by reading that then saying “Hello, UserName,” you have committed Meta-Gaming.
This encompasses a WIDE range of things, knowing an ability another character has because you read their bio, talking to someone OOC about their character’s history and then using some snippet without consent in an RP with that character etc, all that and more is an infraction of Meta-Gaming and a form of God-Moding.

HOW CAN I PREVENT MYSELF FROM GOD-MODING?
 

DO:
- IMPLY actions
- Take some attacks and injury
- Keep it realistic

DON’T
- Dodge every attack
- Attack with impossible/unrealistic actions
- Use more than one or two abilities simultaneously
- Use OOC information in character
- Control other characters behavior
- Assume your attacks always land

Brigid,

I did mention it a couple times in the Flaws and Realism Sections, but you expanded on it a bit more here- so thank you!

I must have missed it , I think I said I may have.  

It was pleasure. :)

Yeah, godmodding is pretty bad here. 

Watches in horror as CrypticSpikeS eats an entire baker's dozen of well-expired donuts.

The following excellent resource has also been brought to my attention by R.A.W.R (Roaring Alliance of Writers for Roleplay)

Both the original post and the comments contain a wealth of resources: 

http://mafiareturns.com/comm/thread/539688/tpass/82ba04e0559c9ff5430fccea7c32e953#11112706

Additionally, the following guide by Scarfo is thorough and fantastic. Honestly, it goes much more in depth than my introductory appeal and it's a great read. It's found at the following location:

http://mafiareturns.com/comm/thread/550505/tpass/36b31d7fa8dc3a7ee34ac0307de7e684#9552121