[Sl'askia]

Roleplaying…in its simplest definition is pretending you are something you are not. Roleplay is rather popular…from the online games like Everquest and Dark Ages of Camelot, to text and graphical chat programs, and finally to the old fashioned paper and dice games like Advanced Dungeons and Dragons and Shadowrun (all the mentioned I have played.). Even some card games like Magic the Gathering is sometimes referred to as ‘roleplay’.
Now…in my eyes there are three types of roleplay: light, normal, and hardcore (or fanatical). I will describe what each ‘type’ is to me.
Light: Light roleplay is what I consider the ‘alter-ego’. In other words…you play as yourself…but in a different from with additional powers/abilities. For instance I project myself online as a dragon (was doing this before I started my ‘spiritual self searching’), but my personality is the same (quiet, yet talkative on certain subjects, reserved yet can be quick to anger and prone to random acts of mischievousness). I use this type mainly for chats and non-RP forums; usually only short and simple things (ie *snorts*, *pins ears back with an annoyed look on her face*, etc)…in other words I use it to help express how I am feeling or to aid in getting my point across. Sometimes this kind of RP does get a little more ‘involved’…usually random bouts of pure RP in chats were the object is nothing but pure fun and funny. Bouts like…*Puts a Tutu on Dark Hood, along with a pink hair bow and paints his nails neon green* (Dark Hood is a friend of mine BTW) over MSN. Often we are laughing our butts off during it all. *grin* The main thing about light roleplay is that the player does know and understand that this is all just ‘fantasy’ and not part of reality. A light roleplay session can turn into the ‘normal’ type.
Normal: Normal roleplay is usually when you play a different persona completely, though alter egos can be involved. This is a more ‘involved’ type of roleplay, usually more descriptive in nature. I really don’t have much experience with this type…as I am more ‘in-between’ Light and Normal types. But like in light roleplay, the player knows the difference between fantasy and reality. A normal session can turn into ‘hardcore’…which IMO is the dangerous type.
Hardcore: Players of this type…are the ones to be careful of. They are so involved with their characters lives that they start to ‘lose’ the difference between fantasy and reality. Their characters lives consume them (they ‘become’ that character IRL)…and they lose sight of who they really are…they no longer see it as ‘just a game’ and it becomes major part of their lives. They take it personally when someone insults/hurts/threaten their character. The danger with this is that it can destroy their, even their families lives, sometimes resulting in death.
There was a case I heard once…of a man who quit his job so he could play EverQuest 24/7. One day his character kept ‘dieing’ while trying to do a ‘corpse run’ (in EverQuest if you die you have to go back and ‘reclaim’ the your stuff(weapons, money, etc) on your corpse)…he got so stressed and upset that he had a heart attack and died.

Now…I am mainly a light Rper…sometimes going into normal, but unfortunately I do have one hardcore trait: I sometimes take it personally when someone threatens my characters. The main reason for that is that it is my belief that all characters you create, especially story characters, share some aspects of their creator and if you attack them…you are in a round about way attacking the creator personally. Now…it often just depends on my state of mind at the time…most times I let it roll of me like sweat on my back, but if the person is annoying or one I don’t particularly like…oh boy. But then…that usually happens only out of RP aspect….and I am rambling now..*smacks her self back on track*
So is RP good, bad, or just a fun time? It’s all three…depending on the individual of course. Like anything else…the bad ones give it a bad rep sometimes and most Rpers I know are good people who know better then to let it consume their lives. Back to myself…in a way I think it helped me…helped me realize I need to start the journey to discover who I am spiritually. For it was through roleplay online that the deeper, ‘hidden’ parts of me started to surface…parts that are starting to affect me in a positive way in RL. BUT! (and it’s a big one) it is also the main source of my doubt about me being otherkin (along with my rather hyper imagination). I know all those bouts of RP I have in chat and in games are just fantasy, even when I use my spirit form in those bouts, and it is harmless fun (well…save for the cramps you get from laughing too much ).

Course…this is all just my perspective on this…what are yours?