Role-playing
Encyclopedia
Role-playing refers to the changing of one's behaviour to assume a role
, either unconsciously to fill a social role, or consciously to act out
an adopted role. While the Oxford English Dictionary
defines role-playing as "the changing of one's behaviour to fulfill a social role", the term is used more loosely in five senses:
where people rehearse situations in preparation for a future performance and to improve their abilities within a role. The most common examples are occupational training role-plays, educational role-play exercises, and certain military wargames
.
One of the first uses of computers was to simulate reality around its participants in order to role-play the flying of aircraft. As early as the 1940s, flight simulators used computers to solve the equations of flight and train future pilots. After World War II
the army began full time role-playing simulations with soldiers using computers both within full scale training exercises
and for training in numerous specific tasks under wartime conditions. Examples include weapon firing, vehicle simulators, and control station mock-ups.
.
Improvisational theatre
dates back to the Commedia dell'Arte
tradition of the 16th century. Modern improvisational theatre began in the classroom with the "theatre games" of Viola Spolin
and Keith Johnstone
in the 1950s. Viola Spolin, who was one of the founders the famous comedy troupe Second City
, insisted that her exercises were games, and that they involved role-playing as early as 1946. She accurately judged role-playing in the theatre as rehearsal and actor training, or the playing of the role of actor
versus theatre roles, but many now use her games for fun in their own right.
in which the participants assume the roles of characters
and collaboratively create stories
. Participants determine the actions of their characters based on their characterisation
, and the actions succeed or fail according to a formal system
of rules and guidelines. Within the rules, they may improvise freely; their choices shape the direction and outcome of the games.
Role-playing can also be done online in the form of group story creation, involving anywhere from two to several hundred people, utilizing public forums, private message-boards, mailing lists, chat-rooms, and instant-messaging chat clients (e.g. MSN, Yahoo!, ICQ) to build worlds and characters that may last a few hours, or several years. Message boards such as ProBoards
and InvisionFree are popularly used for role-playing. Often on forum-based roleplays, rules and standards are set up, such as a minimum word count, character applications and "plotting" boards to increase complexity and depth of story. For some, romance and sex (though more often the former) are key elements to publicly-viewable role-plays, with the majority of such play taking place in chat-rooms or so-called "1×1" (one-on-ones) and very small groups, with other elements taking a back-seat in terms of importance. Typically, for medium and large groups of role-players, and large role-plays, the reverse is true, with romantic sub-plots taking a back-seat to story and setting development and action scenes, yet when it does occur, it is often (and in some cases expected to be) of a far less blatant nature.
There are different genres of which one can choose while role-playing, including, but not limited to, fantasy, modern, medieval, steam punk, historical, etc. Books, movies or games can be, and often are, used as a basis for role-plays (which in such cases may be deemed "collaborative fan-fiction"), with players either assuming the roles of established canon
characters or using those the players themselves create ("Original Characters") to replace—or exist along side—characters from the book, movie or game, playing through well-trodden plots as alternative characters, or expanding upon the setting and story outside of its established canon. Role playing takes years to master, but it does not take too long to learn the basics.
Another type of role-playing game is done on Bebo. People create accounts for characters in various genres such as Harry Potter, and then go onto other role-player accounts and role-play with each other until relationships and friendships are created through the stories.
Role
A role or a social role is a set of connected behaviours, rights and obligations as conceptualised by actors in a social situation. It is an expected or free or continuously changing behaviour and may have a given individual social status or social position...
, either unconsciously to fill a social role, or consciously to act out
Acting
Acting is the work of an actor or actress, which is a person in theatre, television, film, or any other storytelling medium who tells the story by portraying a character and, usually, speaking or singing the written text or play....
an adopted role. While the Oxford English Dictionary
Oxford English Dictionary
The Oxford English Dictionary , published by the Oxford University Press, is the self-styled premier dictionary of the English language. Two fully bound print editions of the OED have been published under its current name, in 1928 and 1989. The first edition was published in twelve volumes , and...
defines role-playing as "the changing of one's behaviour to fulfill a social role", the term is used more loosely in five senses:
- To refer to the playing of roles generally such as in a theatre, or educational setting;
- To refer to taking a role of an existing character or person and acting it out with a partner taking someone else's role, often involving different genres of practice;
- To refer to a wide range of games including role-playing video gameRole-playing video gameRole-playing video games are a video game genre with origins in pen-and-paper role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, using much of the same terminology, settings and game mechanics. The player in RPGs controls one character, or several adventuring party members, fulfilling one or many quests...
, play-by-mail gamePlay-by-mail gamePlay-by-mail games, sometimes known as "Play-by-post", are games, of any type, played through postal mail or e-mail. One example, chess, has been played by mail for centuries . Another example, Diplomacy, has been played by mail since the 1960s, starting with a printed newsletter written by John...
s and more; - To refer specifically to role-playing games.
- To perform an imaginary action within a fictitious setting, often starting the action with symbols such as ,-,_,*,~ etc. Specific examples include -Hugs you tightly- and *Picks up the shovel*.
Training
Role-playing may also refer to role trainingTraining
The term training refers to the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and competencies as a result of the teaching of vocational or practical skills and knowledge that relate to specific useful competencies. It forms the core of apprenticeships and provides the backbone of content at institutes of...
where people rehearse situations in preparation for a future performance and to improve their abilities within a role. The most common examples are occupational training role-plays, educational role-play exercises, and certain military wargames
Military simulation
Military simulations, also known informally as war games, are simulations in which theories of warfare can be tested and refined without the need for actual hostilities. Many professional contemporary analysts object to the term wargames as this is generally taken to be referring to the civilian...
.
Simulation
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the army began full time role-playing simulations with soldiers using computers both within full scale training exercises
Military simulation
Military simulations, also known informally as war games, are simulations in which theories of warfare can be tested and refined without the need for actual hostilities. Many professional contemporary analysts object to the term wargames as this is generally taken to be referring to the civilian...
and for training in numerous specific tasks under wartime conditions. Examples include weapon firing, vehicle simulators, and control station mock-ups.
Entertainment
Historical re-enactment has been practised by adults for millennia. The ancient Romans, Han Chinese, and medieval Europeans all enjoyed occasionally organising events in which everyone pretended to be from an earlier age, and entertainment appears to have been the primary purpose of these activities. Within the 20th century historical re-enactment has often been pursued as a hobbyHobby
A hobby is a regular activity or interest that is undertaken for pleasure, typically done during one's leisure time.- Etymology :A hobby horse is a wooden or wickerwork toy made to be ridden just like a real horse...
.
Improvisational theatre
Improvisational theatre
Improvisational theatre takes many forms. It is best known as improv or impro, which is often comedic, and sometimes poignant or dramatic. In this popular, often topical art form improvisational actors/improvisers use improvisational acting techniques to perform spontaneously...
dates back to the Commedia dell'Arte
Commedia dell'arte
Commedia dell'arte is a form of theatre characterized by masked "types" which began in Italy in the 16th century, and was responsible for the advent of the actress and improvised performances based on sketches or scenarios. The closest translation of the name is "comedy of craft"; it is shortened...
tradition of the 16th century. Modern improvisational theatre began in the classroom with the "theatre games" of Viola Spolin
Viola Spolin
Viola Spolin was an important innovator of the American theater in the 20th century. She created directorial techniques to help actors to be focused in the present moment and to find choices improvisationally, as if in real life...
and Keith Johnstone
Keith Johnstone
Keith Johnstone is a drama instructor whose teachings and books have focused on improvisational theatre and have had a major influence on the art of improvisation.-Education:...
in the 1950s. Viola Spolin, who was one of the founders the famous comedy troupe Second City
The Second City
The Second City is a improvisational comedy enterprise which originated in Chicago's Old Town neighborhood.The Second City Theatre opened on December 16, 1959 and has since expanded its presence to several other cities, including Toronto and Los Angeles...
, insisted that her exercises were games, and that they involved role-playing as early as 1946. She accurately judged role-playing in the theatre as rehearsal and actor training, or the playing of the role of actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
versus theatre roles, but many now use her games for fun in their own right.
Role-playing games
A role-playing game is a gameGame
A game is structured playing, usually undertaken for enjoyment and sometimes used as an educational tool. Games are distinct from work, which is usually carried out for remuneration, and from art, which is more often an expression of aesthetic or ideological elements...
in which the participants assume the roles of characters
Character (arts)
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
and collaboratively create stories
Narrative
A narrative is a constructive format that describes a sequence of non-fictional or fictional events. The word derives from the Latin verb narrare, "to recount", and is related to the adjective gnarus, "knowing" or "skilled"...
. Participants determine the actions of their characters based on their characterisation
Characterisation
Characterization or characterisation is the art of creating characters for a narrative, including the process of conveying information about them. It may be employed in dramatic works of art or everyday conversation...
, and the actions succeed or fail according to a formal system
Role-playing game system
A role-playing game system is a set of game mechanics used in a role-playing game to determine the outcome of a character's in-game actions...
of rules and guidelines. Within the rules, they may improvise freely; their choices shape the direction and outcome of the games.
Role-playing can also be done online in the form of group story creation, involving anywhere from two to several hundred people, utilizing public forums, private message-boards, mailing lists, chat-rooms, and instant-messaging chat clients (e.g. MSN, Yahoo!, ICQ) to build worlds and characters that may last a few hours, or several years. Message boards such as ProBoards
ProBoards
ProBoards is a free, remotely hosted message board service that facilitates online discussions by allowing people to create their own online communities.-Ownership and Service Statistics:...
and InvisionFree are popularly used for role-playing. Often on forum-based roleplays, rules and standards are set up, such as a minimum word count, character applications and "plotting" boards to increase complexity and depth of story. For some, romance and sex (though more often the former) are key elements to publicly-viewable role-plays, with the majority of such play taking place in chat-rooms or so-called "1×1" (one-on-ones) and very small groups, with other elements taking a back-seat in terms of importance. Typically, for medium and large groups of role-players, and large role-plays, the reverse is true, with romantic sub-plots taking a back-seat to story and setting development and action scenes, yet when it does occur, it is often (and in some cases expected to be) of a far less blatant nature.
There are different genres of which one can choose while role-playing, including, but not limited to, fantasy, modern, medieval, steam punk, historical, etc. Books, movies or games can be, and often are, used as a basis for role-plays (which in such cases may be deemed "collaborative fan-fiction"), with players either assuming the roles of established canon
Canon (fiction)
In the context of a work of fiction, the term canon denotes the material accepted as "official" in a fictional universe's fan base. It is often contrasted with, or used as the basis for, works of fan fiction, which are not considered canonical...
characters or using those the players themselves create ("Original Characters") to replace—or exist along side—characters from the book, movie or game, playing through well-trodden plots as alternative characters, or expanding upon the setting and story outside of its established canon. Role playing takes years to master, but it does not take too long to learn the basics.
Another type of role-playing game is done on Bebo. People create accounts for characters in various genres such as Harry Potter, and then go onto other role-player accounts and role-play with each other until relationships and friendships are created through the stories.