Post by Mike on Dec 17, 2014 2:54:18 GMT
Treatise on Altis Life Role Play
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Civilians
Rebels
Criminals
Altis Police Department
Altis Medical Response Team
Miscellaneous RP
RP Terms for Non-RP Things
Introduction:
The Viper Gaming Altis Life RPG Servers are exactly what they sound like, Role Playing Game servers. This means that a certain level of voice and character acting is inherently expected out of the players who join. As of the time of this writing, there seems to be a significant decline in how players interact with each other on the RP level. So, I thought I would write this up and hopefully educate some of those people who either don't have the experience to RP properly, or simply don't care to. Of course, if the latter is your own attitude, chances are you won't be reading this thread anyway. Let's begin, shall we?
Civilians:
Chances are this is where every new player to the server will be starting their experience. It's one of the easier roles to RP as you can basically just play as yourself. There are some nuances however, such as avoiding references to Altis as a video game, or calling out to someone you've never met just because you can see their name above their head.
Let's do a little situation role play here, in order to give you some examples of what you might see/hear on Altis. Here's the situation: Bill is walking down the street toward Kavala Market Square, whistling a little tune and enjoying his first foray into the big city. A thug, name unknown of course, jumps from behind a corner.
Thug: "Drop your cell phone and put your hands up."
Bill: "Ok, Ok. I'll do it. I'm dropping my phone."
Bill hits I to simulate dropping his cell phone, then Shift+N to put his hands up. He has little money, but his life is worth something to him.
Thug: "Good, now stay still. If you move, you're dead."
The thug knocks Bill out and steals what little money he has. He's a right bastard, but this is Kavala and those kind of people are everywhere.
Bill wakes up slowly, his head throbbing, but the thug is nowhere to be seen. His cell phone is still on the ground, but the screen is cracked. It's ok, he can still use it to send a text.
Bill to Text: "I was just mugged on the street near Kavala Square Market. The guy was wearing a green shirt, black pants and a blue baseball cap. He had a really big backpack on too, it looked kind of a dirty tan color."
With any luck, the APD will respond and based on Bill's tip find and arrest the thug. For his help in identifying the thug, Bill may even receive some kind of reward for his part!
This is an example of how RP should be done when being robbed. Unless the thug identified himself, Bill should not be telling the APD his name. Bill can only give a description of the thugs features and his general location. More likely than not the APD won't catch the guy, but it's still good RP.
There are many other examples that run in the same vein as the above, but aren't nearly as violent. For example, it's perfectly okay to talk about the most recent sporting event with someone in Kavala so long as you are in character and not referencing the "server" or "game you're playing" or anything else that wouldn't apply to what your character is doing at that point in time. If you're sitting in front of a TV somehow in game, then talk about what you're "watching". If you're watching the cars drive by on the main road, don't start talking about this really funny youtube clip you just watched. You are your character, act like it.
Rebels:
Rebels are civilians as well, they have just chosen a life of fighting the government, or in this case the APD. There is a distinct difference between a Rebel and a Criminal though, and that comes to light in how the two roles are played. There are many different terms that are synonymous with rebel. The most important one that comes to mind in terms of Altis Life is "Freedom Fighter". That means that if you are wanting to play as a Rebel, chances are you don't want to kill the people you are fighting for, right? It seems like many forget that part of their role and think that being a Rebel means killing anything and everything that moves except for their buddies. That simply isn't the case.
Rebels are provided access to higher forms of military hardware, harder hitting guns, and more effective camouflage than your average citizen or even the police in many instances. This access does not give you free reign to avoid RP! In fact, if anything it increases the need for your to RP.
War seems to be the biggest way that Rebels will fight with the APD and this is most often in Kavala. Please, please, please keep in mind that just because War is declared doesn't mean you can't play your role as a Rebel! For example, if you're walking through Kavala during a war and find a single cadet with his back turned, instead of simply killing him without saying a word, try to RP the situation.
Rebel: "Don't move. Drop your comms and put your hands behind your head. If you comply, you will not be harmed. Test me and you will die. You are now a hostage of the Altis Liberation Front. We fight for the people that you oppress! You are guilty of your crimes by a jury of your peers."
The Rebels could then contact the police to tell them they have a hostage or take the cop somewhere public and make an example of him for the people. Either option is good so long as it is RP. My favorite would have to be a public execution, I think there's a lot of fun there for everyone involved, even the cop.
The biggest thing to remember is that as a Rebel you are fighting against the government, not the people of Altis. Being a Rebel really means that you should be protecting the oppressed citizens of Altis, not killing them in the crossfire or harming them.
Criminals:
Criminals are like Rebels, but without the cause. These are the guys like the Thug in the other example who are out just to make a few quick bucks, go home and do some drugs, then get back out and do it all over again. These guys traffic drugs, rob people of their money, cut out organs and sell them to the dealer, and various other illegal acts.
This should all be done with RP. Every last bit of it. At no point should you ever run up to a player, knock them down, cut out a kidney and run off without saying a word. That is FailRP and is technically ban-able. However, if you run up to the player, knock them down, then say "Sorry man, I need money for my family. They're starving. I'm sorry" while you're cutting the kidney, then that's RP! The same sort of thing could be said for robbery, stealing a car, etc.
Altis Police Department:
The APD has its own set of RP rules that must be followed. For a member of the APD, you can check them out in the proper thread rather than reading a full recap here. However, there are a few things to touch on.
As an APD Officer, you have to remember that you are playing what is essentially a completely different character from your civilian or AMRT one. I think the best way of doing this is by changing your accent. I prefer to use a slight Southern twang when patrolling or doing stops. It's fun, it's RP, and it differentiates me from my other characters.
You must always be in character. You can't drop character at any point. If someone insists on talking to you without RP, it's best to ask them to contact you via "Radio (TeamSpeak)" so that you can get out of character. You can also use your phone. If they ask about joining the APD, I like to say something like, "Check out our website and fill out an application. The site ID is listed on the bottom left of your map, we put an ad in there for everyone." or something along those lines. That way you're in character, but they now know the EGC website address is listed on their map.
Standard traffic stops (the ones for speeding or driving without headlights on, etc.) are excellent times to get your RP skills up to snuff. If you've ever watched Cops you probably know what to say. Make sure you are RPing everything, not just your voice. If you ask for their ID, hit I to simulate your taking it from them. Walk back to your car, get in, check the "database (Wanted List)" and then get back out and talk to them more. If they're wanted, inform them before you restrain them.
It's often tempting to try and protect yourself by restraining a person before you tell them what crime they have committed. In most cases, this is not proper RP. You cannot just handcuff a person without telling them why you are doing it. Trust me, they will scream their little heads off at you or even report you for FailRP and poor training. Make sure you tell them before you restrain them.
There will be times when the player you're pulling over simply doesn't want to talk to a cop or deal with being pulled over. It's perfectly fine to stop chasing someone and let them go, you can't win them all. Remember, you shouldn't kill anyone just for running away from you. If you can't safely take out their tires (without harming them or anyone else around) then do not fire. A real life cop wouldn't, so you shouldn't.
Safety first. Collateral damage is a part of cop work, but it should be minimized as much as possible. A dead cop is useless.
Altis Medical Response Team:
The Altis Medical Response Team is my pride and joy. I love the role, I love the people in it, I love the RP opportunities it provides that no other role can.
For some reason, it is also often a role that is overlooked for RP. That is because some AMRT members haven't figured out or been told that when a player is dead they cannot hear voice chat. So, they are RPing completely, but the dead player doesn't know it. That makes the AMRT a bit unique, because our RP has to be done via text chat in Direct.
When responding to a call, make sure you announce yourself. A few examples of how this can be done:
"Sir, please remain calm, I am an EMT."
"I'm a Medic, I'm here to help."
"You've been in a car wreck, you're in shock. I'm with the AMRT, you're going to be ok."
This lets the player know that they are being helped by a Medic and don't need to hit the Respawn button. In addition, the camera angle can often go whonky when a player dies, so they may not be able to see you. By announcing yourself, you avoid a wasted trip that could have been used helping someone else.
After announcing yourself, I like to throw in a bit more if I know what happened. For example, if the player was shot, say something like:
"You have a gunshot wound to your chest, I've hooked you up to an IV and bandaged the wound. It was a through and through. You'll heal just fine."
If the player was involved in a car accident, say something like:
"Your head is bleeding slightly and your throat will feel rough for a bit from the airbag. Take two of these and come back in on Monday for a follow-up."
The second bit (above) can be done via text if you have the time or typing skills, or in voice chat after you've gotten them back up. Chances are the player will thank you and run off, but they may stick around to RP with you for a bit. If another call comes in, it's perfectly okay to say, "Sorry, my radio is going off, I'm needed elsewhere" and respond to that call.
Always remember, a dead Medic is a useless Medic.
Miscellaneous RP:
There are going to be many situations that aren't or can't be accounted for in any kind of forum post. In those cases, it's up to your innate RP skills and creativity to handle them. I've seen people RP as a crazy person, flailing around and jumping off of stuff, getting in peoples ways, etc. It may seem like trolling, but it is a form of RP. I've also seen entire gangs of players role playing Mormon followers, going from person to person asking to talk about their Lord. It's always fun to interact with those players who are so willing and able to jump into their character that it's hard to distinguish between what's RP and what's just that persons personality.
It's also important to remember that if you die, then that character dies. You shouldn't walk up to your killer and ask why they killed you, unless you are revived by a medic. It's FailRP to ask someone why they killed you, since... well... you're supposed to be dead and are only there because it's a new life, a new character.
RP Terms for Non-RP Things:
"Our Website on the Map" - EGC URL written on every players map
"Radio" - TeamSpeak
"Comms" - Cell Phone, TeamSpeak, Side Chat, everything that can be used to contact someone not in your immediate area.
"Country/Altis/Island" - The Server (i.e. "I'm new to this island.")
"Police Database/Database" - The Wanted List feature of your Y Menu.
"Check with Dispatch/Radio in to HQ" - Talk to the highest ranking officer in TS for advice on a situation.
More to come...
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Civilians
Rebels
Criminals
Altis Police Department
Altis Medical Response Team
Miscellaneous RP
RP Terms for Non-RP Things
Introduction:
The Viper Gaming Altis Life RPG Servers are exactly what they sound like, Role Playing Game servers. This means that a certain level of voice and character acting is inherently expected out of the players who join. As of the time of this writing, there seems to be a significant decline in how players interact with each other on the RP level. So, I thought I would write this up and hopefully educate some of those people who either don't have the experience to RP properly, or simply don't care to. Of course, if the latter is your own attitude, chances are you won't be reading this thread anyway. Let's begin, shall we?
Civilians:
Chances are this is where every new player to the server will be starting their experience. It's one of the easier roles to RP as you can basically just play as yourself. There are some nuances however, such as avoiding references to Altis as a video game, or calling out to someone you've never met just because you can see their name above their head.
Let's do a little situation role play here, in order to give you some examples of what you might see/hear on Altis. Here's the situation: Bill is walking down the street toward Kavala Market Square, whistling a little tune and enjoying his first foray into the big city. A thug, name unknown of course, jumps from behind a corner.
Thug: "Drop your cell phone and put your hands up."
Bill: "Ok, Ok. I'll do it. I'm dropping my phone."
Bill hits I to simulate dropping his cell phone, then Shift+N to put his hands up. He has little money, but his life is worth something to him.
Thug: "Good, now stay still. If you move, you're dead."
The thug knocks Bill out and steals what little money he has. He's a right bastard, but this is Kavala and those kind of people are everywhere.
Bill wakes up slowly, his head throbbing, but the thug is nowhere to be seen. His cell phone is still on the ground, but the screen is cracked. It's ok, he can still use it to send a text.
Bill to Text: "I was just mugged on the street near Kavala Square Market. The guy was wearing a green shirt, black pants and a blue baseball cap. He had a really big backpack on too, it looked kind of a dirty tan color."
With any luck, the APD will respond and based on Bill's tip find and arrest the thug. For his help in identifying the thug, Bill may even receive some kind of reward for his part!
This is an example of how RP should be done when being robbed. Unless the thug identified himself, Bill should not be telling the APD his name. Bill can only give a description of the thugs features and his general location. More likely than not the APD won't catch the guy, but it's still good RP.
There are many other examples that run in the same vein as the above, but aren't nearly as violent. For example, it's perfectly okay to talk about the most recent sporting event with someone in Kavala so long as you are in character and not referencing the "server" or "game you're playing" or anything else that wouldn't apply to what your character is doing at that point in time. If you're sitting in front of a TV somehow in game, then talk about what you're "watching". If you're watching the cars drive by on the main road, don't start talking about this really funny youtube clip you just watched. You are your character, act like it.
Rebels:
Rebels are civilians as well, they have just chosen a life of fighting the government, or in this case the APD. There is a distinct difference between a Rebel and a Criminal though, and that comes to light in how the two roles are played. There are many different terms that are synonymous with rebel. The most important one that comes to mind in terms of Altis Life is "Freedom Fighter". That means that if you are wanting to play as a Rebel, chances are you don't want to kill the people you are fighting for, right? It seems like many forget that part of their role and think that being a Rebel means killing anything and everything that moves except for their buddies. That simply isn't the case.
Rebels are provided access to higher forms of military hardware, harder hitting guns, and more effective camouflage than your average citizen or even the police in many instances. This access does not give you free reign to avoid RP! In fact, if anything it increases the need for your to RP.
War seems to be the biggest way that Rebels will fight with the APD and this is most often in Kavala. Please, please, please keep in mind that just because War is declared doesn't mean you can't play your role as a Rebel! For example, if you're walking through Kavala during a war and find a single cadet with his back turned, instead of simply killing him without saying a word, try to RP the situation.
Rebel: "Don't move. Drop your comms and put your hands behind your head. If you comply, you will not be harmed. Test me and you will die. You are now a hostage of the Altis Liberation Front. We fight for the people that you oppress! You are guilty of your crimes by a jury of your peers."
The Rebels could then contact the police to tell them they have a hostage or take the cop somewhere public and make an example of him for the people. Either option is good so long as it is RP. My favorite would have to be a public execution, I think there's a lot of fun there for everyone involved, even the cop.
The biggest thing to remember is that as a Rebel you are fighting against the government, not the people of Altis. Being a Rebel really means that you should be protecting the oppressed citizens of Altis, not killing them in the crossfire or harming them.
Criminals:
Criminals are like Rebels, but without the cause. These are the guys like the Thug in the other example who are out just to make a few quick bucks, go home and do some drugs, then get back out and do it all over again. These guys traffic drugs, rob people of their money, cut out organs and sell them to the dealer, and various other illegal acts.
This should all be done with RP. Every last bit of it. At no point should you ever run up to a player, knock them down, cut out a kidney and run off without saying a word. That is FailRP and is technically ban-able. However, if you run up to the player, knock them down, then say "Sorry man, I need money for my family. They're starving. I'm sorry" while you're cutting the kidney, then that's RP! The same sort of thing could be said for robbery, stealing a car, etc.
Altis Police Department:
The APD has its own set of RP rules that must be followed. For a member of the APD, you can check them out in the proper thread rather than reading a full recap here. However, there are a few things to touch on.
As an APD Officer, you have to remember that you are playing what is essentially a completely different character from your civilian or AMRT one. I think the best way of doing this is by changing your accent. I prefer to use a slight Southern twang when patrolling or doing stops. It's fun, it's RP, and it differentiates me from my other characters.
You must always be in character. You can't drop character at any point. If someone insists on talking to you without RP, it's best to ask them to contact you via "Radio (TeamSpeak)" so that you can get out of character. You can also use your phone. If they ask about joining the APD, I like to say something like, "Check out our website and fill out an application. The site ID is listed on the bottom left of your map, we put an ad in there for everyone." or something along those lines. That way you're in character, but they now know the EGC website address is listed on their map.
Standard traffic stops (the ones for speeding or driving without headlights on, etc.) are excellent times to get your RP skills up to snuff. If you've ever watched Cops you probably know what to say. Make sure you are RPing everything, not just your voice. If you ask for their ID, hit I to simulate your taking it from them. Walk back to your car, get in, check the "database (Wanted List)" and then get back out and talk to them more. If they're wanted, inform them before you restrain them.
It's often tempting to try and protect yourself by restraining a person before you tell them what crime they have committed. In most cases, this is not proper RP. You cannot just handcuff a person without telling them why you are doing it. Trust me, they will scream their little heads off at you or even report you for FailRP and poor training. Make sure you tell them before you restrain them.
There will be times when the player you're pulling over simply doesn't want to talk to a cop or deal with being pulled over. It's perfectly fine to stop chasing someone and let them go, you can't win them all. Remember, you shouldn't kill anyone just for running away from you. If you can't safely take out their tires (without harming them or anyone else around) then do not fire. A real life cop wouldn't, so you shouldn't.
Safety first. Collateral damage is a part of cop work, but it should be minimized as much as possible. A dead cop is useless.
Altis Medical Response Team:
The Altis Medical Response Team is my pride and joy. I love the role, I love the people in it, I love the RP opportunities it provides that no other role can.
For some reason, it is also often a role that is overlooked for RP. That is because some AMRT members haven't figured out or been told that when a player is dead they cannot hear voice chat. So, they are RPing completely, but the dead player doesn't know it. That makes the AMRT a bit unique, because our RP has to be done via text chat in Direct.
When responding to a call, make sure you announce yourself. A few examples of how this can be done:
"Sir, please remain calm, I am an EMT."
"I'm a Medic, I'm here to help."
"You've been in a car wreck, you're in shock. I'm with the AMRT, you're going to be ok."
This lets the player know that they are being helped by a Medic and don't need to hit the Respawn button. In addition, the camera angle can often go whonky when a player dies, so they may not be able to see you. By announcing yourself, you avoid a wasted trip that could have been used helping someone else.
After announcing yourself, I like to throw in a bit more if I know what happened. For example, if the player was shot, say something like:
"You have a gunshot wound to your chest, I've hooked you up to an IV and bandaged the wound. It was a through and through. You'll heal just fine."
If the player was involved in a car accident, say something like:
"Your head is bleeding slightly and your throat will feel rough for a bit from the airbag. Take two of these and come back in on Monday for a follow-up."
The second bit (above) can be done via text if you have the time or typing skills, or in voice chat after you've gotten them back up. Chances are the player will thank you and run off, but they may stick around to RP with you for a bit. If another call comes in, it's perfectly okay to say, "Sorry, my radio is going off, I'm needed elsewhere" and respond to that call.
Always remember, a dead Medic is a useless Medic.
Miscellaneous RP:
There are going to be many situations that aren't or can't be accounted for in any kind of forum post. In those cases, it's up to your innate RP skills and creativity to handle them. I've seen people RP as a crazy person, flailing around and jumping off of stuff, getting in peoples ways, etc. It may seem like trolling, but it is a form of RP. I've also seen entire gangs of players role playing Mormon followers, going from person to person asking to talk about their Lord. It's always fun to interact with those players who are so willing and able to jump into their character that it's hard to distinguish between what's RP and what's just that persons personality.
It's also important to remember that if you die, then that character dies. You shouldn't walk up to your killer and ask why they killed you, unless you are revived by a medic. It's FailRP to ask someone why they killed you, since... well... you're supposed to be dead and are only there because it's a new life, a new character.
RP Terms for Non-RP Things:
"Our Website on the Map" - EGC URL written on every players map
"Radio" - TeamSpeak
"Comms" - Cell Phone, TeamSpeak, Side Chat, everything that can be used to contact someone not in your immediate area.
"Country/Altis/Island" - The Server (i.e. "I'm new to this island.")
"Police Database/Database" - The Wanted List feature of your Y Menu.
"Check with Dispatch/Radio in to HQ" - Talk to the highest ranking officer in TS for advice on a situation.
More to come...
