121365-regarding-the-rp-community-on-jabbit

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Hi!
 
I'm posting here, rather than in the Jabbit forums, for visibility to any EU roleplayers that might have moved to the US servers.
 
Since this fall I have with sadness noticed a steady decline in the RP community on Jabbit. From what I have seen, roleplay on Jabbit has gone from active guilds, circles and RP channels to being somewhat of a ghost town. This is a shame, seeing as Wildstar provides a rich and vibrant world for roleplay, not only due to it's incredible housing system allowing roleplayers to create endless settings for both events and spontaneous meetings. I've heard that some of the EU roleplayers moved across the pond to Entity, which I can understand due to the active RP community there. Others might have seen the end of Lightspire as the end of EU roleplay in Wildstar while others still might have left the game altogether. Regardless, the RP community on Jabbit, to me, seems to be suffering great losses.
 
In the light of this my guild, the Voidrunners, have decided to host a public RP event on Jabbit in the weeks following the release of the Protostar Initiative. Our hopes are that this will provide a venue for roleplayers remaning on Jabbit or returning to the game to meet up and get to know each other and hopefully lay a foundation for further events and spontaneous roleplay. We hope to show that RP is still very much alive and it is our belief that the community will once again prosper along with the rise of the overall population.
 
This event will be taking place on Exile side but we welcome any Dominion players to bring their Exile alts (you know you've got them) and join us. More information can be found here: https://forums.wildstar-online.com/forums/index.php?/topic/121251-exilerp-event-voidrunners-client-open-house/
 
However, we're not alone in fighting for the RP community. I know that this Wednesday already, Moska Nax of Nihilism is hosting what looks to be a very exciting event Dominion side which I urge people to take part of. More information about that event can be found here: https://forums.wildstar-online.com/forums/index.php?/topic/121165-roleplay-event-cannon-of-destruction-28th-jan-1900-gmt-0/
 
I am sure that there are additional guilds and roleplayers on both factions doing their best to keep roleplay alive, and I hope that we can join efforts in revitalizing the community. Worst case, we get to meet up and roleplay and have a good time. Seems like a win-win to me.
 
I hope to see you all at the event in February, and you are more than welcome to contact me in-game if you want to get in touch with the Voidrunners IC. Until then, take care!
 
Best wishes /
Aliette "Ally" Harkens	
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Hi Lianora. Thanks for the update on the current rp situation, and thanks for mentioning my event as well! :)
 
I know there are still roleplayers out there on Nexus waiting to show off their characters and take part in roleplay activities like the ones mentioned above, so it's good to get word out on this. With drop 4 bringing the new housing features and costumes, roleplay is only getting better!
 
As for your event, I'll gladly come along to meet all of you folk through the eyes of Reddik Sunstrider. Haven't the faintest idea what these exiles are up to, so am looking forward to much interrogation friendly conversation!	
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I think it might be time for a little update. :)
 
As most of you know, during the last couple of months we've been seeing an increasing number of new and returning players on Jabbit. And with the increased numbers of players in general comes an increased number of new and returning roleplayers. Now, that's good news, undoubtedly. However, it seems that a lot of roleplayers get the impression that RP on Jabbit is still pretty much non-existent.
 
Now, I know for a fact that this isn't the case and therefore I thought I'd compile my answers to the questions I hear the most, as well as give a few tips about how to get involved in the growing Jabbit RP community! Mind that some of my answers only apply to the Exile side, but I'd love for some Dommies to come along and give their view on the situation!
 
Q: Is there RP on Jabbit?
A: Yes! There is! Quite a lot of it too! But no, it won't hop up in your lap. This means that you can't expect to find roleplay everywhere you look for it, and just asking "Is there RP?" ususally won't cut it.
 
Q: So, how do I find RP then?
A: Firstly, on Exile side you'll want to join the LFRP channel by typing /chjoin LFRP. This channel has been around for a long time and many of the active roleplayers subscribe to it. It's also the goto-place for returning roleplayers seeing as it existed way back on Lightspire. Join and say hi! Apart from that we currently have open RP nights at the bar The Scyl (skyplot of Lyo Sunward) every Thursday and there's talk about making the Arborian Gardens the goto place for spontaneous roleplay so you want to check those places out too! Lastly, become active on wildstar-roleplay.com and post your character background, storyline or ideas! This site is currently only used by the US community, but it's way better suited than the official WS forums for roleplayers to congregate. No one posted yet? Be the first to do so! Only by actually using the site can it become active among EU roleplayers again!
 
Q: I think you're lying. I've been around all day and I still haven't found any RP!
A: Our community is growing, but it's still a ways to go to the glory days of Lightspire where you couldn't swing a stick without poking some poor roleplayers eye out. Therefore, it is not feasible to expect to find people roleplaying all the time. So what to do? Create something yourself and invite others! Set up a storyline, go to a location and ask others to come, put up contact ads here on WSRP or just wander around Thayd IC! Roleplaying is a creative process after all, it isn't a service that is being provided by a select few.
 
Q: Wait, open world RP? That's scary! I'm going to get trolled!
A: This is the internet, there is bound to be trolls, yes. However, in my experience the WS community has been much more accepting of roleplayers than in many other MMORPG's. And either way, roleplaying is not some shameful act that should only be done in the secret safety of your housing plot. It is an ingame activity as valid as PvE or PvP and in my opinion it is equally, if not more, rewarding to both participants and bystanders. Apart from this, there are additional reasons for not confining all your roleplay to housing plots. See this thread for some good thoughts and discussions about this.
 
Q: Well, okay, I'll start something up myself... but first I need to finish my character background/get to 50/perfect my housing plot!
A: No, stop right there. You're putting up obstacles preventing yourself from doing what you want to do: to roleplay. You don't need to have the perfect character, the nicest costume or an amazing housing plot to be able to create and have fun roleplaying. Sure, a well thought out background fleshes your character out, as does the perfect outfit or an incredibly immersive housing plot, but it's not NEEDED. Instead of having every detail of your character laid out before you start, consider starting out with what other people notices first. How your character behaves, talks and any special habits they might have. You'll probably notice that while you are roleplaying the ideas to WHY your character behaves the way they do will come flowing to you and you'll have fun at the same time! Sure, this might be a matter of preference, but while you're endlessly trying to perfect your character for their grand entrance, you might be missing out on a lot of roleplay.
 
Now, keep in mind that these are my personal opinions. I'm posting this here because I love Wildstar and roleplaying is an essential part of it for me. I want to see the Jabbit community continue to grow, to see people create new storylines, events and RP hotspots. I don't want people to poke their heads in, come to the faulty conclusion that RP is dead on Jabbit and then go away forever. It might ultimately be for naught, but I'm damn well gonna try to do my bit to help and I hope some of you will too.
 
Now go out there and be awesome! <3
 
/ Ally	
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