The Elder Scrolls Online » Discussions


Role-playing in ESO

Tags: ##ESO  ##Roleplaying 
  • Member
    January 25, 2020
    This thread is in a similar to the one created by Paws about your ESO characters, but it's slightly different :-) Do your characters have any quirks that become apparent through your travels across Tamriel? Have you any unusual character ideas that you are thinking of role-playing? I saw something about an Argonian by the name of Sleeps-on-bridges, who does just that and other players sometimes join in, I think that's really nice, subtle but really unusual. I'll post mine shortly, but over to you...
  • Member
    January 25, 2020
    I have two characters on the go, nothing too quirky yet, but Dorcas-Anya often plays the lute near the forge in Wayrest, and Ji'sari plays the flute in random locations, and much like her fourth era descendent, has a habit of seeing which roofs she can get onto. I now have an idea for a third, a dark elf, first name to be determined, but he'll favour enchanting, probably end up wearing something white/silvery, have a pet guar... He would be "The Runestone Guarboy"
  • Member
    January 26, 2020
    Interesting topic! I'll have to give this one some thought because I'm not sure I do anything as visual or physical. Often it's more an internal thing or something that isn't obvious - like Castus visiting churches whenever he's in a city that has one. Anybody would think he's just there to respec at the shrines or picking up a quest or lorebook, and only I would know that it is actually a small rp process. I also have this ongoing idea that Hadlanter has the hots for Arterome, a high elven fishermer on Alinor's docks. She has no dialogue and is just a random npc, but whenever he goes fishing he always fishes at the spots close to her first. I'll give it more thought. Chuckling at the idea of Khajiit playing the flute at crafting stations. That would be nice to listen to while doing the daily writs :D
  • Member
    January 26, 2020

    Paws said: Interesting topic! I'll have to give this one some thought because I'm not sure I do anything as visual or physical. Often it's more an internal thing or something that isn't obvious - like Castus visiting churches whenever he's in a city that has one. Anybody would think he's just there to respec at the shrines or picking up a quest or lorebook, and only I would know that it is actually a small rp process. I also have this ongoing idea that Hadlanter has the hots for Arterome, a high elven fishermer on Alinor's docks. She has no dialogue and is just a random npc, but whenever he goes fishing he always fishes at the spots close to her first. I'll give it more thought. Chuckling at the idea of Khajiit playing the flute at crafting stations. That would be nice to listen to while doing the daily writs :D

    Ah Paws, I like that Hadlanter is sweet on one the locals in Alinor.IIt's interesting to see some if the more unusual habits our characters pick up along the way.

    I think Dorcas-Anya has a soft spot on a particular Breton, but is already married with a child so won't be doing too much about it, but I think it may inspire some of her reactions through various quests.

  • Member
    January 27, 2020

    Meli said:

    Ah Paws, I like that Hadlanter is sweet on one the locals in Alinor.IIt's interesting to see some if the more unusual habits our characters pick up along the way.

    I think Dorcas-Anya has a soft spot on a particular Breton, but is already married with a child so won't be doing too much about it, but I think it may inspire some of her reactions through various quests.

    She's hot for a Breton who isn't Darien? Don't let him find out! It'd crush him :D Who is this mysterious man? High King Emeric?

    Having that dynamic inspire reactions to quest and dialogue is a fun thought. I think there is scope in the game to explore that sort of thing. Racial bias and first impressions could probably be incorporated into a character's story by occasionally taking sides with a character you otherwise might not. I'm trying to think of an example but can only recall Grahtwood off the top of my head. I remember in that zone there are a few random events that explore the Green Pact such as a Wood Elf calling for a Khajiit's hands to be cut off for the crime of picking a flower or something. We get to pick a side in those situations. Now obviously anyone reasonable would defend the cat because the punishment is not in proportion to the crime in our eyes, but I'm imagining a full-on frond faery would maybe agree with the glade goblin and take his side instead. Or maybe the first impression of that Bosmer is more favourable because of how he looks or the sound of his voice, or because the player's character became attracted to another mer in the zone and is reminded of him/her during the scenario. So using that first impression or bias to make a different decision could be great fun to explore, especially if the player character regrets the decision afterwards and then seeks to atone, thus maybe tending towards siding with Khjaiit a bit more which could lead to problems of a similar nature down the line.

  • Member
    January 27, 2020

    I don't really have anything like what's already been mentioned, since I find roleplaying in that way difficult. However, I've recently been going through the free Inn Rooms that you can get and decorating with single character in mind. This has forced me to think about them on a deeper level, what do they like? What would their room look like; clean or a mess? Is there anything unique about them? and so on. For one character her room has thread and cloth strewn around, because while she isn't able to craft you a full set of clothes or armour like her sister, she's picked up enough to be able to patch a hole or adjust the size of something. Another has a personal shrine to Stendarr, where she can perform a prayer each morning (I recently posted a screenshot of this). She's also turned out to be a bit of a tinker; which is necessary to keep her Factotum legs maintained, so she has a space for that as well. I'm quickly running out of these smaller rooms which challenge me to be creative in how I reflect the characters with the limited space available, and I'm genuinely saddened by it.

  • Member
    January 27, 2020

    Paws said:

    Meli said:

    Ah Paws, I like that Hadlanter is sweet on one the locals in Alinor.IIt's interesting to see some if the more unusual habits our characters pick up along the way.

    I think Dorcas-Anya has a soft spot on a particular Breton, but is already married with a child so won't be doing too much about it, but I think it may inspire some of her reactions through various quests.

    She's hot for a Breton who isn't Darien? Don't let him find out! It'd crush him :D Who is this mysterious man? High King Emeric?

    Having that dynamic inspire reactions to quest and dialogue is a fun thought. I think there is scope in the game to explore that sort of thing. Racial bias and first impressions could probably be incorporated into a character's story by occasionally taking sides with a character you otherwise might not. I'm trying to think of an example but can only recall Grahtwood off the top of my head. I remember in that zone there are a few random events that explore the Green Pact such as a Wood Elf calling for a Khajiit's hands to be cut off for the crime of picking a flower or something. We get to pick a side in those situations. Now obviously anyone reasonable would defend the cat because the punishment is not in proportion to the crime in our eyes, but I'm imagining a full-on frond faery would maybe agree with the glade goblin and take his side instead. Or maybe the first impression of that Bosmer is more favourable because of how he looks or the sound of his voice, or because the player's character became attracted to another mer in the zone and is reminded of him/her during the scenario. So using that first impression or bias to make a different decision could be great fun to explore, especially if the player character regrets the decision afterwards and then seeks to atone, thus maybe tending towards siding with Khjaiit a bit more which could lead to problems of a similar nature down the line.

    rr

    Oh it's Dorcas who's married LOL

    She was highly irritated by Darien at first, Dorcas had a bit of a moment at the temple library in Orsinium

  • Member
    January 27, 2020

    Golden Fool said:

    I don't really have anything like what's already been mentioned, since I find roleplaying in that way difficult. However, I've recently been going through the free Inn Rooms that you can get and decorating with single character in mind. This has forced me to think about them on a deeper level, what do they like? What would their room look like; clean or a mess? Is there anything unique about them? and so on. For one character her room has thread and cloth strewn around, because while she isn't able to craft you a full set of clothes or armour like her sister, she's picked up enough to be able to patch a hole or adjust the size of something. Another has a personal shrine to Stendarr, where she can perform a prayer each morning (I recently posted a screenshot of this). She's also turned out to be a bit of a tinker; which is necessary to keep her Factotum legs maintained, so she has a space for that as well. I'm quickly running out of these smaller rooms which challenge me to be creative in how I reflect the characters with the limited space available, and I'm genuinely saddened by it.

    Oh this definitely counts :-) It's not always something other players notice, but it makes our characters more interesting for us, keeps us coming back to them

  • Member
    January 27, 2020

    Golden Fool said:

    I don't really have anything like what's already been mentioned, since I find roleplaying in that way difficult. However, I've recently been going through the free Inn Rooms that you can get and decorating with single character in mind. This has forced me to think about them on a deeper level, what do they like? What would their room look like; clean or a mess? Is there anything unique about them? and so on. For one character her room has thread and cloth strewn around, because while she isn't able to craft you a full set of clothes or armour like her sister, she's picked up enough to be able to patch a hole or adjust the size of something. Another has a personal shrine to Stendarr, where she can perform a prayer each morning (I recently posted a screenshot of this). She's also turned out to be a bit of a tinker; which is necessary to keep her Factotum legs maintained, so she has a space for that as well. I'm quickly running out of these smaller rooms which challenge me to be creative in how I reflect the characters with the limited space available, and I'm genuinely saddened by it.

    Buy bigger houses Goldie.

    Thinking about it, I think that's the key difference that separates RP in a traditional TES game and RP in ESO in that the former is more about immersion while the latter is more about expression. In the single-player games we have more control of the world around us and can use that to inform the things that define us. From basic things like keeping a schedule, sleeping at night, what time we go hunting, and how we navigate the world help establish our character. In ESO where our control over the world is lessened in that we can't advance time, we can't keep a schedule in the same way, and navigating the vast world necessitates a faster means of travel, we instead have a greater degree of expression. From what we wear, what our title is, how our houses look and visual personality, RP becomes more focussed on how we express ourselves and what decisions we make along the way.

    Meli said:

    Oh it's Dorcas who's married LOL

    She was highly irritated by Darien at first, Dorcas had a bit of a moment at the temple library in Orsinium

    Gotcha, I misread that.

    I'll need to visit the Temple of Ire's library and see what inspired this "bit of a moment" :D

  • Member
    January 27, 2020

    Paws said:

    Meli said:

    Oh it's Dorcas who's married LOL

    She was highly irritated by Darien at first, Dorcas had a bit of a moment at the temple library in Orsinium

    Gotcha, I misread that.

    I'll need to visit the Temple of Ire's library and see what inspired this "bit of a moment" :D

    I'm trying to remember exactly when and where it was, I feel like it was a temple, but I maybe wrong. Definitely in Orsinium, and during a quest, Dorcas hits every bookcase and cabinet, nd there may have been a puzzle to solve...