Roleplay servers
I like to roleplay. There are many reasons why which I won’t go into, but other roleplayers will understand. I started a roleplay guild in Everquest 2 and when I played Tabula Rasa I joined a roleplay guild. Everquest 2 is a medieval fantasy setting where as Tabula Rasa is a present/near future setting. If you were to greet someone in EQ2 you would perhaps say Hail or Greetings, but in TR it’s not out of character to say ’sup. Nor would it be out of character to say Woot! or Powned. But I digress.
EQ2 has three dedicated roleplay servers, Antonia Bayle, Lucan D’Lere and one which is RP PvP, Venekor. Tabula Rasa does not have a dedicated RP server, nor does Pirates of the Burning Sea. That’s not a problem for roleplayers because the RP community will just announce an unofficial RP server and that’s where RPers will go. But what about those that don’t RP.
Out of the 25 servers EQ2 has, Antonia Bayle is the busiest. When choosing a server the RP servers are clearly defined as such. So why is it the busiest? Are there that many RPers out there? I think a lot of people might choose a RP server not because they are RPers themselves, but because they believe the RP community to be more mature and therefore containing less l33t d00dz.
I think developers should try to provide a dedicated RP server for their games. By doing so they give likeminded people a chance to find each other. Also those people who have never RP’d before but think they might like to try know where to go. Not for the RPers, they will always manage to find each other, but for the wider gaming community.
Comment from Andy
Time: March 12, 2008, 12:48 am
I think you make a good point. It is true that Antonia Bayle, a roleplaying server is often the most crowded in Everquest 2. At times when crossing those that do not roleplay, I often wonder why they chose a RP server in the first place. Granted I do not roleplay the entire time i’m online, and I would argue to say that I fall into the category of heavy roleplayers that balances a healthy mix of playing the game with being in character.
Perhaps developers should make dedicated RP servers mean something, but truthfully with games such as EQII that have general/pvp/market type servers, I think it would add even more stress and work on development teams to provide updates, content and balance fixes for too many different playerbases that it will effect overall quality. As always, the RP community in any MMO will find each other and do what we as roleplayers do…take the world the devs have created and create our own characters, our own story/purpose/morals and progress throughout the game with others who do the same.