I haven't posted in any of the various OMG-RP-is-dead threads because I didn't have anything positive and constructive to add to the OPs. However, I think a lot of people may be blowing things way out of proportion. I don't think that RP is dead (or dying) or anything else. I just think a lot of people are less interested in it right this second than they have been in previous moments.
Roleplaying takes work. To create environments and stories and yes, characters. It only takes two people to roleplay. So as long as two people can get together when it's convenient to them, and tackle a story they want to tell collaboratively, roleplaying isn't dead.
The problem is that WoW isn't a game tailored around roleplaying. It's an MMO, where you have an engine and an actual game to play, so the majority of the players get involved in that game (leveling up characters, gearing alts, raiding, going through all the quests). They're busy right now, and less interested in roleplaying. That's OK!
When they're ready to RP again, I'm certain they will.
Mostly, I'm trying to address two points here. First, that people are busy/entertained and RP for many is not the central reason to play WoW (or even to play on an RP server); it may be a side aspect they enjoy. Maybe they spontaneously roleplay while playing at times. But the whole, log-on-for-three-hours-and-RP-in-Org thing does not define every roleplayer, and that's really ok.
Second, it's hardly dead. It just takes a lot of work. To build stories, to organize players, to get people on at the same time, and to make RP more interesting than the game (aka, blowing off raid night for RP instead of the reverse). It takes a lot more to make fun and engaging RP than to have two characters meet up. It takes storytellers.
If you really want to increase the amount of open RP on the server, then put effort into becoming a storyteller who creates opportunities for others to RP. Those who are interested, will come. Those who aren't, won't.
But just imagine for a moment, that I started to post, "Raiding is dead/dying" threads all over the forums. It would be silly. SoE is hardly a world-first server, but people are chugging away at it at their own pace. So it goes with RP is dead/dying threads. It's not dead. It's not dying. It takes you and a friend and some elbow grease to make RP happen.
Roleplaying takes work. To create environments and stories and yes, characters. It only takes two people to roleplay. So as long as two people can get together when it's convenient to them, and tackle a story they want to tell collaboratively, roleplaying isn't dead.
The problem is that WoW isn't a game tailored around roleplaying. It's an MMO, where you have an engine and an actual game to play, so the majority of the players get involved in that game (leveling up characters, gearing alts, raiding, going through all the quests). They're busy right now, and less interested in roleplaying. That's OK!
When they're ready to RP again, I'm certain they will.
Mostly, I'm trying to address two points here. First, that people are busy/entertained and RP for many is not the central reason to play WoW (or even to play on an RP server); it may be a side aspect they enjoy. Maybe they spontaneously roleplay while playing at times. But the whole, log-on-for-three-hours-and-RP-in-Org thing does not define every roleplayer, and that's really ok.
Second, it's hardly dead. It just takes a lot of work. To build stories, to organize players, to get people on at the same time, and to make RP more interesting than the game (aka, blowing off raid night for RP instead of the reverse). It takes a lot more to make fun and engaging RP than to have two characters meet up. It takes storytellers.
If you really want to increase the amount of open RP on the server, then put effort into becoming a storyteller who creates opportunities for others to RP. Those who are interested, will come. Those who aren't, won't.
But just imagine for a moment, that I started to post, "Raiding is dead/dying" threads all over the forums. It would be silly. SoE is hardly a world-first server, but people are chugging away at it at their own pace. So it goes with RP is dead/dying threads. It's not dead. It's not dying. It takes you and a friend and some elbow grease to make RP happen.