Hello WRA. I finally transferred my characters over here after years of being interested in starting RP. I have my TRP filled out and I have a good idea of my character’s story and background.
I’m brand new to RP. I am really shy and nervous to approach people. I have no idea how to actually RP. I’m still unsure what kind of personality I want my character to have and how I want her to behave. Are there any communities (preferably discord) that can help newbies? Somewhere that won’t make me feel stupid for asking stuff? I am a long time wow player but brand new RPer.
I’m so excited to finally be a part of this community. Thank you for any help!
The Wyrmrest Community Project is definitely a place to go. People are friendly and will listen to your character ideas and offer constructive ways to achieve what general goal you want. 7PY25buzpK is the Discord invite code.
I definitely recommend attending a few events, too, because it can be a bit low-effort being a face in the crowd. I personally am part of a performance guild (The Tirisfal Theatre Troupe), and our events are great for newbies and non-RP’ers that want to watch RP without being pressured to participate. I believe the story circle is also pretty good for that.
If you want a space ingame to try things out and ask questions, part of the reason I run the teahouse is to create a safe space for people like you. Our regulars are very supportive, more than happy to answer questions in whisper channels, etc. I have pretty much a zero-tolerance policy for people who give others a hard time about lore, character design, etc.
We’ve even got a couple of Vulpera who show up fairly regularly, so there’s that as well.
I 100% agree. It might seem counter-intuitive that big public events are good for newcomers, but think of it like this - how many strangers do you talk to in a restaurant, or at Disneyland? But those are also places where you can watch how other people interact.
At the teahouse we’re used to people being quiet sometimes. We’ve even got a “quiet corner” table where pretty much the only direct interaction is Kunbo making sure you’re ready for dessert.
I have a post from Donnybrook that definitely helps with RP, if you’re looking to attract RP or you’re just trying to get into the headspace of your character.
Below is the quote:
It always helps to give your character a hobby, vice, or some kind of fidget. Donna and one of my other characters smoke, I have a character who fidgets with an enchanted gold coin, and I have a character with a cursed sword that tarnishes daily so he needs to oil and sharpen it regularly. Anything to give your character the illusion that they’re quite happy to be on their own, doing their own thing. Also, writing like this give little interactive plot hooks for observers to catch!
Rather than look at people when they do or say something, type out that you heard them in some way, but remain focused on whatever you’re doing. This can backfire as sometimes players will think you’re not interested and move on, but it tends to catch players that are paying attention.
If you want to draw attention to yourself, try doing something just a bit outside the norm but not destructive. Like stacking empty mugs at the bar and accidentally have them fall over, then react as your character realistically would. My demon hunter will regularly carve lewd body parts into stuff, vandalizing his surroundings. Things that you’d watch someone do in public, just to see what happens to them when they get caught.
This isn’t for everyone, but I like to make my character appear quite content to be where they are, and enjoying their solitude. Like a contented sigh as they lean against a wall to people watch, or reclining on the ground and bobbing their feet to music in their head. For whatever reason, people really want to approach someone who doesn’t give a damn if they’re there or not.
And just make it yours, really! Figure out what your character would do in any given situation. Like what they do when it’s just them by themselves. Like how you act when you’re in the comfort of your own home, then just tailor it to be in character.
Thinking outside the box not required- Azeroth is a spacious and accommodating box. Familiarize yourself with the box, explore the box, and take those tools and inspirations from all over to make something you find fun. It might take a couple or more drafts, and you might rewrite your character into something you like more, but that’s the point. Playing something you enjoy.
Vulpera don’t really have a lot of lore, but you can extrapolate a lot of interesting ideas from how NPCs interact with each other in Vol’dun, and in the Dragon Isles! Situationally savage, clever, tough, exploiting every advantage they can- it takes all kinds to survive Vol’dun. And they also are still foxes so… tails wag, ears fold and flick, whiskers flare, and they tend to stick together in groups for safety.
Then there’s Nisha, who does underground pit fighting in Valdrakken… sometimes, foxes are just built different.
