I once heard someone recommend making RP servers harder - make it so, say, you have a 25% reduced XP and gold from both mobs and quests, so both leveling and making money is harder, to try to make the server as unattractive as possible for people not really invested in it, but that probably wouldn't work as it would attract people who aren't interested in RP but want to play the game on "hard mode", and would make RPers themselves feel like they're being punished.
This actually isn't that bad of an idea.
If you slow leveling and gold farming down enough people going to stay on pve servers because of the grind alone.
I don't think attack damage and mob damage should be adjusted however because then you will get hardcore folks who want a more difficult experience.
I think the biggest thing to keep rp servers rp servers is to have actual GM's that care about rp and not the overuse of robots.
10/25/2018 11:57 PMPosted by NurdanAs anyone who has played on a RP server can tell you, probably less than ten percent of people who play on RP servers have any interest in roleplaying.
This trend of people uninterested in RP rolling on RP servers started way back in vanilla, when RP servers developed a reputation for being laid back and casual, which made people decide to play there not because they care about RP, but because they want to be surrounded by "mature" people (or in some people's cases, they wanted to be on a server filled with "baddies" so they're "best" player around), not to mention all the people who rolled there without paying attention to the server tag.
I was reading a thread where people were talking about differences between PvP and PvE servers, and someone in it encouraged people to play on RP-PvP servers because of the perceived maturity of people who play on RP servers. So it seems very likely that the same thing will happen again.
Can anything be done to preserve RP servers for RP crowd and avoid their death again? Obviously Blizzard can't police the server and ban people who don't RP. So what else is there?
It's not the server but the people that make the RP community.
I play ESO and that has one NA megaserver yet the RP community is big there.
You can join up to 5 guilds and guilds can have 500 people.
The best way for this to happen on a server is for guilds and players to be coordinated with each other. Cross faction talk would only be there for war between guilds, or raids on bases, etc. If you attending a role-play event as a Horde member, but a large group of Alliance come to ruin the party, it would be better to incorporate this into the story of the event, rather than calling for reporting the guild for ruining the RP. This way, it will make the game feel a lot more immersive.
- Server Rules
It isn’t enough to have coordination. I would suggest that all role-playing guilds on the server follow the same rule set, one that can accommodate for every player and brings better cooperation in case of multi-guild events or large gatherings. Rules can include things such as: battle systems, conduct, and probably one solely accepted RP addon.
In my opinion, the best battle system would probably be a /roll20 3/5 hp system with modifiers that apply to your character. As for conduct, I feel like it’ll form on its own. Only speaking in character in /say or /yell, but ooc ok any other chat or using () or )) when speaking ooc in the previously mentioned chats. As far as role-play goes, I think it would be best for people to keep all RP within the WoW universe and to make your character as realistic as possible.
Guilds
Guilds are the ruling bodies of the RP scene. They create a theme for the guild (Thieves, soldiers, etc.) and are mainly the ones that schedule events. They are ones that bring people together under a banner and create a great community.
Events
Everyone knows has heard about in-game RP gatherings. Or the sessions guilds make for their RP content. I bring events up because I wish to show everyone how immersive events can be. Guilds can create story arcs/campaigns, which are completed in various sessions. This creates a skeleton for the role-play to follow, but the players are the ones that bring it to life by creating a story that you can tell the next time you visit a tavern.
Ending
Yes, this post is probably longer than it needs to be, but my wish is for people to read it and to maybe just give RP a try in the future (On Classic, of course).
I accept all criticisms and feedback.
10/26/2018 10:08 PMPosted by Daenerith10/26/2018 09:29 PMPosted by VictorlawRoleplayers (the good ones, anyway) typically create a character, and then roleplay as that character, in the context of the fictional universe they're RP'ing in, while trying not to break established lore. They do NOT roleplay as a person playing a virtual toon in a video game. That's Deadpool levels of fourth wall breaking and doesn't jive with the environment. (Not hating on Deadpool btw, that movie was fking awesome)
I ask because I'm very casual about rp. I dislike sitting in one location and writing out stories or maintaining ongoing plot lines independent of what the game itself presents. I rolled on an RP server because I like staying in character while I play the game.
My "rp" follows the game's story line, and how my characters react to it. I want /say and /yell in character. I like seeing active events and will participate if they're open ended enough to allow others, though again... I don't like to write out my actions, beyond some flavor text. And I don't want to maintain stories that take me away from the core of the storyline presented in WoW.
I don't present my characters as the main hero when joining in random events or talking to people, but I LOVE groups that will run a dungeon and RP using the quests and story line as the reason for being there.
Unfortunately, I've often gotten the vibe (and at least one direct accusation) that this isn't considered true "RP". It also certainly isn't accepted on normal servers. Neither fish, nor fowl, nor good red herring... it's honestly a little irritating.
Oh. Well, in that case, I guess you ran into some real jerks. You get those in any community, sadly.
I don't see anything wrong with what you just described, so... meh.
I love the idea of an Undead guild, and will be creating one on the RP PVP server, an off-shoot cult. Would love to have you guys, or mingle!
An undead guild…“Bones for Hire”. Undead rogues roaming the world leaving corpses of Alliance in their wake.
It would be nice if there were an RP guild or server that didn’t need to RP as their characters but simply pretend it was still 2004. I brought this up in the /r/classicwow subreddit and got mixed responses. I think it’s different and exciting. But whatever…
Best thing I can think of is the RP community sponsoring server-wide events that allow people new to RP a chance to experience it. I’m sure its been done in the past, but consistent community RP events could go a long way.
I’ve always felt the hardest thing about RP is actually learning how its done and finding other people that enjoy it.
I roleplay like I’m in one of the new Jumanji movies.
That is really the only way to get an RP server. The RP community all decide “we’re going to this one”, like they did in FFXIV.
The RP server tag is just a bullseye for selfish buttholes.
Ironically the people that were clamouring for an official RP server have all but guaranteed there won’t be a real RP server.
Well, I’ll definitely live on Bloodsail, and I’ll practice my own brand of RP - that is, living in the world exactly as if I was … well … living in the world.
Mal has never been political, barely knows any palace intrigue beyond knowing a bit about Varian and spending a little time with Anduin (through quests).
Mostly she concentrates on her life, her professions and her friends. Just like any real person does.
I highly doubt it. I played on an RP in TBC (transfer from PvE to play with some coworkers) and I saw next to zero RP.
This is a fresh start, and it is up to us as a community to continue our desire for Roleplay and shape the server community as a whole.
There won’t be CRZ to muddle it down, so the reputations are tied to the names of the characters. People will quickly know who is who, and who does what.
I am seeing a lot of people extremely passionate about Roleplay and the hype is real. Every voice counts, so if you are worried RP will diminish, be one of those who help nurture that Roleplaying community. 
There are tons of players on pvp servers that don’t actively participate in the pvp scene so your point of adhering just because the abbreviation is in the server name is moot.
It’s an option, not mandatory.
Very few people rp’d on my server in vanilla. The name rules were enforced though. I saw someone on the stress test yesterday named alexstrazsa. I hate that. I don’t understand why people can’t have some originality to their names. When bc came out 300 had just come out in theaters. Every variation of leonidas was running around the belf starting area. All the variations of illidan in legion.
I Rp the same way. Unfortunately, I’m always talking to myself or my pets. Currently looking for an rp guild, though.
Form RP groups and play together. Reach out and try to engage other players to join in RP. Don’t harass people or complain about people who aren’t roleplaying.
It takes effort to build a community, and this is where it usually falls apart. You can’t just slap a label on something and expect it to be that label. Players have to cultivate the environment they want.
Even on retail right now there are RP groups alive and well.