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Questions of a Roleplayer
Saydien
Member Posts: 266
So with the NDA lifted I finally can get some answers from people that don't just tell me "it's all totally awesome" because they want to desperately drag me into the game. I have some questions that I so far haven't seen covered in any of the previews just because they aren't about PVE or PVP. Still I hope that someone will bother to answer, please 
1. How is the chat functionality for the sake of RP?
Too many games these days totally mess that up by limiting the max length of written text to a way too short length making the writing of proper emotes close to impossible without having to devide them on several sends.
2. Are there any advanced chat features that could benefit RP?
As example I'd name the possibility to create own public or private chat groups apart from the standard channels so you e.g. can create an IC channel of sorts.
3. How long is the spatial/say/emote range?
Having this one being too short or too long can really be annoying for me. Too long and there's too much RP text all over to follow, too short and it gets hard to e.g. make a club actually feel immersive.
4. Are there fun RP hot spots or hubs?
Very subjective topic but I'd like to hear some opinions. Stuff like a club on Nar Shadda with special lightning and music or some really immersive sith temple for example.
5. Any word/news on the possibility to create some sort of customizable bio page?
The old SWG people will know what I mean. I so far only read something about a general bio page (if I'm not mistaken) that can't be edited. Could be that I missed something.
That's all for now. Any answers would be really appreciated. Thank you. Oh and in the hope to prevent this debate from coming up again: Yes, I am aware that nothing of that is absolutely essential for RP but still such stuff makes RP easier and more enjoyable for me.
Comments
I'm not an RPer persay, but I think I can answer your questions.
1. This could be a little bit of a problem. I don't think they fixed it with this build but there used to be chat bubbles over your head, they took them out a few builds ago. There was talk from other testers that they would be brought back, but I don't know if that will happen. Also, so far the chat window has shown me all text except for whispers and guild chat in the same color. Yep, /say and /general and /trade are all the same color by default. Not going to be good I assume when you're trying to RP.
2. They just added in this build the capability to create your own chat channels I believe. This should at least help solve the problems from #1. I can't think of any other really advanced chat features that there might be. The chat window has been quite basic in previous builds. They've just started adding in things to it such as linking items, and clicking on names to whisper. Don't expect too much from the chat window at launch.
3. This I can't answer. I would check right now but I'm in the middle of downloading the new build. I'll come back to this and let you know.
4. I think you will find lots of little places to have fun at. Again, I don't RP but I would imagine the cantinas would be cool. I could see a lot of potential on Tatooine (lots of little buildings scattered around, plust the cantinas). I think there is no shortage of interesting places to visit. There is a lot of variety between the different planets as well. Nar Shadda is dark with neon lights everywhere and shady areas while Tatooine is mostly outdoors, brightly lit, and obviously completely desert. I think there will be plenty of variety for different kinds of situations you might want to RP
5. I haven't heard anything specifically about a bio page like SWG, but I would pay close attention to the Legacy system if I were you. Once you get done with Act 1 you get a surname for all of your characters on the server (not even going to address the possible RP issues with the 1 per server surname, I'll leave that to you RPers to worry about). You also get a title from that.
What they have said though, is that once you unlock the Legacy system on your first character, all of your characters will be able to earn exp towards your legacy. Earlier devs posted in a thread on the official forum that they will be adding in other rewards as your progress such as social items, emotes, and some sort of family tree to track all of your characters heritage.
If there is going to be a bio you can make for your characters, I would guess that it will be part of the Legacy system.
Shadow's Hand Guild
Open recruitment for
The Secret World - Dragons
Planetside 2 - Terran Republic
Tera - Dragonfall Server
http://www.shadowshand.com
Thank you very much for the nice and detailed answers. While I in some cases hoped for better news I can't say that the disappointment wasn't expected. Guess I shall hope that sometime soon after (or maybe even before) the release there might be some focus on such not all too important but mostly easy and fast to implement fluff.
Check this:
http://www.swtor-life.com/beta-2/rp-in-swtor-a-review-from-beta/4807/
Executive Editor (Games) http://www.wccftech.com
I would say that dubyahite's answers are all pretty much on target, though I've seen a number of things to suggest that the Devs don't have plans for the legacy system to be in a launch. Regardless, from a personal experience as an RPer, I found RPing hard because of the contraints of the class stories. If you are ok with having your play experience and your RP stories not jiv, than you might find it appealing as an RPing experience, but that's not my cup of tea personally.
Edit: scratch what I said about legacy and lauch, I had not read the most recent build info. They finally put it in this build.
Special thanks for that link. A nice but at the same time frightening read. If they keep all chat channels planet-wide then I personally will consider if I really want to even bother trying to RP there...
First, if you can create your own channels, what difference does it make what the other channels do. Second, the "general/open/local chat" mentioned are not different channels. i'm guessing that he couldn't recall what is was actually called at the time he was writing it. it is just the "general" channel, and what game has a general channel that isn't somewhat global? "Say" is not planet wide.
Dubya is not correct about the chat colors. There are options for changing the color of the different types of text.
"Fun Hot spots" for RPing? Well that's up to the RPer's. It's the players that make something a hub, or not. Each side has a space station with a pretty open center area.cantina. There are also one or two cantinas on many planets. I don't know what you would find fun, or what would make a hot spot. I do know that the cantina merchant sells tokens for the jukebax, and you can change the music, but I have never really spent any time with it.
So other than this statement of the linked page implies there also is the standard /say channel that reaches x meters, right?
That's correct but heres the thing. /say is the exact same color in chat as /general. People don't generally notice, and /general is going by fast on their screen. There is no chat bubble above your head when you /say, and I absolutely can't ever get anyones attention with /say.
Today I logged into the new build and noticed that they have given us social abilities. My IA has an ability that has him just stand there and read an iPad looking thing "checking his mission details." Kind of interesting. It serves no gameplay purpose so I guess that stuff's for you guys.
Shadow's Hand Guild
Open recruitment for
The Secret World - Dragons
Planetside 2 - Terran Republic
Tera - Dragonfall Server
http://www.shadowshand.com
OP if you are worried about RPing in general chat then you can always start on a RP server. They will available at launch. I am sure there are thousands of people out there like you who are big into the RP. I personally don't RP so i will be rolling on a regular server. As for RP hotspots i saw people RPing on the cantina during my time in the beta. And overall social aspect seemed very active. People were usually always talking on general chat about something. The general chat was almost at the same level as "Barrens chat" lol. But it's good that people are into the game.
Currently Playing: SSFIV AE, SFxTekken, SWTOR, WoW. Waiting for: GW2, Resident Evil 6.
Who still leaves General on in this day and age? Heh. Add that to the list of "things we learned from WoW".
I find it difficult to work without custom channels, since they first became available. Soooooo handy for so many things.
Self-pity imprisons us in the walls of our own self-absorption. The whole world shrinks down to the size of our problem, and the more we dwell on it, the smaller we are and the larger the problem seems to grow.
First about /say It is currently the same color as /general, but it is still beta and that would be an easy thing to change. Even if they don't, you can change the text color to anything you want. I changed my /say channel to orange. Given the nature of roleplayers, most would change the text colors anyway. Even if they didn't think of it on their own, someone else would tell them. That is not going to be an issue for people that want to RP.
What I missed the most were chat bubbles. Without them RPing is VERY frustrating.
People don't ask questions to get answers - they ask questions to show how smart they are. - Dogbert