Gamers on the Street: Playing with roleplaying

Gamers on the Street logs onto U.S. servers to get the word from the front on what's going on in and around the World of Warcraft.

The WoW roleplayer is a strange creature -- in a game universe almost completely designed for the non-roleplayer (there are enough pop culture references to make anyone sensitive to anachronisms apoplectic), they soldier on insider RP servers, taking their time leveling up, and having perhaps much more fun than anyone who races towards the endgame might otherwise have.

So for this Gamers on the Street, I decided to head to Moon Guard, an RP server. I had hoped to chat about what players were expecting for season 4, and maybe find out what casual players thought of all the new things coming in Wrath of the Lich King, but when I sent out my query for interviewees, what I found were two roleplayers. people who were taking the game at their own pace and having fun doing it.

I also made sure, due to past reader comments, to speak to Alliance this time. After the jump, meet two roleplayers who are playing the game their own way.

The first player I spoke with was Laynellexi, a 63 Rogue from Allied Brewers. Layne and I chatted about coming up through the endgame for the first time, her experiences in the BG, and what roleplaying did for her as a player.

WoW Insider: Thanks for chatting! What have you been up to in game lately?

Laynellexi: Lately I've been questing through Terrokar Forest.

Is it your first time through Outland? How's it going?

It is my first time through. It's been going well so far, I've just been doing quests.

Which one's your favorite?

"Favorite"... that's a loaded word. If you mean "most fun," I would say the Honor Hold quest line.

Which one is that?

When you first get to Outlands, the first quest up to the next zone. It includes the bombing run, which was really great.

Oh yeah, good stuff. So are you trying to get to 70 before the expansion? Is that a goal?

It's one of them. I'd also like to max my professions and get a flying mount, if possible.

So I guess if you're just now headed to 70, you would probably consider yourself a casual player, then, right?

I would call myself that, yes.

Has there been anything, then, that's interested you about the expansion? Most of the big news coming out of there has been about raiding and the endgame -- anything that seems exciting to you as a casual player?

The siege engines seem like a lot of fun to me.

Oh yeah? Why's that?

I've always been interested in strategy games, many of which have siege engines. Putting that together well in Wrath would definitely increase my love of the game.

Have you tried Arenas or the BGs yet at all?

Arenas, no. I've dabbled in the battlegrounds. I like them -- they offer up another side of the game, but only behind portals, so you can explore the rest of the world without getting involved.

I also came to Moon Guard to check out the RP here -- have you seen RP or are you an RPer at all?

I RP a lot actually. I'm part of a guild that RPs a tavern once a week.

"RPs a tavern?" Does that mean you all sit around and drink and tell war stories?

That's the main idea. It's just a place where a person can take part in an environment where good roleplaying is in supply.

Sounds like fun. Does RPing make you enjoy the game more?

Yeah it does. It adds another element that encourages me to come and play more.

Cool. Well thanks very much.

Next up I spoke with a very eager guy named Disean, a level 49 Warrior from the House Shadowfall. He was questing away in Duskwood while we spoke.

WoW Insider: So what have you been up to in the game lately?

Disean: Well.. helping out guildmates, mostly. Trying to pass a world boss to a meeting. Ya know. Guildie stuff.

Helping guildmates do what?

Quests, mainly.

Is your guild raiding at all?

Not yet. I believe they are planning to soon, though. Not sure where.

Is this level 49 your highest character, then, or an alt?

This is my highest character.

Really. So if you could pick one reason, then, why you haven't made it to 60, what would you say? What could Blizzard do to help lower-leveled players like you see the endgame?

Make quests easier to understand, I think. Some of them tend to leave you in the dark.

Have an example?

I don't remember the name of any, but any quest where you have to go to lots of different places and grab very odd things without knowing where they were.

Gotcha. Another reason I came to Moon Guard was to ask people about RP. Have you done any RPing, or seeing anyone RPing?

I'm actually a major RPer myself.

What kind of stuff do you as a roleplayer?

I play as a Mercenary, so I go around doing jobs to collect items.

What kind of jobs do you do?

Finding information, mostly.

Interesting. Is there a lot of roleplaying here, you think, or is it just a few players, and everyone else just kind of plays the game as is?

There are a lot of players. I would say 80% of the people RP here.

Does RPing make you enjoy the game more?

Definitely.

Do you think there's anything Blizzard could do for roleplayers that they aren't doing now?

Once in a while, I think Blizzard should release player-owned housing.

They've talked about it before. You think that would be good for roleplayers?

Yes, definitely. On a previous game I played called Empire of Istaria, they had carpentry as a profession, and houses people could live and RP in.

Sounds fun. Thanks for chatting, good luck with the guild.

Thank you!

Gamers on the Street talks to players on the streets of Azeroth and the Outland every week to find out what Joe Orc and Bob Human think about what's going on in the World of Warcraft.