Better than reality by far

I will gladly be the first to tell you that I am, without a doubt, a “nerd”. I am into video games, anime/manga, comic books and fantasy and sci-fi. I listen to video game soundtracks while I read Alan Moore and have a vast collection of trinkets from my favorite comics and cartoons. I go to Anime North and Fan Expo every year and dress up for it to but what I think the “nerdiest” thing I do is role play online. Not Dungeons and Dragon’s or Amt Guard but text base role playing; very different from what most people assume it is.

Using forums that regular people set up from a given template sites are created and improved with HTML codes and eye catching graphics. The creators of the sites, the administrators, create a plot that is posted on the forum and design the site around that plot. Boards are created that are often parts of a city, school or other kind of setting and “Out of Character” sections are added so members can chat to one another. After hours of setting up the site and agonizing advertising on other role playing forums members take a look and join, creating characters that fit the site’s plot and setting. In most cases the characters are thought up entirely by the members though sometimes “canons” are available. (These are pre-made by either members or the site staff). The characters are given faces using celebrities and models and are given jobs, hobbies and personalities.

It’s a little deeper and more complicated than this though. I know for me and a lot of my friends who role play online as well the characters aren’t like one’s in a video game where you press buttons to control their actions. You get to design the character from scratch and put aspects of yourself into them. For me, and for my friends too, that’s the biggest thrill and attraction to online role playing. You connect with the characters you role play with as an author might connect with the characters in their novels because that’s that online role playing is. The best way I can describe it is like writing a novel with the help of other people. You get varying perspectives through on an event through the different types of characters you role play with and get to interact with people from all around the world. The varying writing styles and experience levels help you grow as a creative writer, especially when connecting with the person behind the character.

For my role playing isn’t just “knowledge community” but is also a form of social networking. Most forums have a “chat box” on it somewhere where members can talk to one another and chit-chat about their characters or their every day life. You become friends with the members and get to know them, often adding them on MSN or Yahoo or even Facebook. Heck, sometimes people even start dating through these forums. (I’m one of those people). Online role playing is gaming, social networking and knowledge community though some sites only focus on one of two of those three things. Either way it is what takes up most of my time on the internet and is something I love doing.