The open mic brings out some interesting personalities… I am not sure if its role playing per se, but it does make me laugh.
With what they have planned with the beta that should improve. But I still think we won’t see it’s total can complete story goodness until launch or maybe early access.
How would not having races affect the ability to RP… like at all?
“Hey you fucking dwarf, you’re on my way! Go away or i’ll kill you in the name of the elves!” And he never talked again with his IRL best friend…
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Poor choice. I would argue that, by sitting on the floor after correctly entering your height, you could RP a dwarf in Orbus now.
Centaurs would have been a much safer bet.
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Just saying if people want to role play they will role play, with or with out lore or other components. That’s the point of role play! 
You take what you have and make it better with the glory of imagination and like minds. You don’t need an NPC to give you a quest, merchants will always need mats, new players will always need guidance, rival and friends will constantly be made and no amount of lore and fuel that forever.
Now that i have most of my basic controls and learning out of the way from the Beta One Test I plan to be Dreks, the blade for hire, ready for any battle for the right amount of dram. But has a soft spot for the little guy, and has been known to stand and fight for those truly in need.
(He also really likes maps and exploring…but especially maps. They are really cool.)
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As the writer of the lore in Orbus, I can safely say that lore is what I would call an enhancer for roleplaying. You don’t need it to have fun and pretend to be someone else, but it can certainly make things more enjoyable when it’s there - if one chooses to involve themselves with it.
We may not currently have enough lore to as you put it @John_T1 to meet the criteria for a bad AAA rpg - as you put it, but trust me when I tell you, there’s a whole lot more to come. A whole lot more! __
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There’s a surprising amount of contextual lore in the game already if you play close attention to the NPC dialogue and take note of the visual storytelling in the environment.
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Because to role play you have to have an identity…purpose…motivations…these things can all be invented in your head as you play your character, but in an MMO having shared world LORE makes the game rich for role playing. Races give an element of that to the game. Dwarves and ogres and nomes and elves don’t role play the same (have you ever played an RPG?)…Race is just an example of some of the characteristics that allow a world to feel like a shared experience with depth and details…which lends to role play.
Doesn’t sound like you understood what I meant. It’s obvious those things can enhance role play but they don’t affect your ability to do so. Maybe you haven’t spent much time RPing before. Read Casey and Sean’s posts.
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Well, I didn’t mean to take aim at you (although if you are in charge of lore then I guess my comment kind of did).
First, I know it is beta. So I expect there to be much more by launch. My comments are really geared at the current state of things.
I’m not even sure why I have no feet when the NPCs do…is that part of the lore? Am I supposed to be role playing the search for my feet? I mean…I CAN do that…but its a story line I’ve entirely made up. It doesn’t actually exist in the world.
So someone wants to be “a blade for hire”…is there such a thing in the game? Is there actually an opportunity for you to live out that character in the lore or game play? if not, you can still RP that…but it won’t actually play for the rest of the world. Are you one of the world’s best blades for hire? Or are you lousy at it? If it doesn’t graft to anything in the world lore or the shared game space then you’re basically just playing “make believe” by yourself and not really “role playing” in a shared game world with the 3rd party perspective of a virtual world reality. I realize that distinction (between “make believe” and “role play”) sounds very oddly esoteric, but I actually think its important in an online MMORPG.
All of the MMORPGs that I’ve played have always been heavy on lore. Usually most players ignore it and only a few hardcore story fiends dig deep into the scattered rumors and NPC dialogues or books in the world to piece it all together. It is something that attracts me to games. I love wandering into a dungeon with a party and being able to share the lore story behind it. That’s when I can actually “role play” as great sage or bard, etc. Sure, I can make up my own stories or just sing all day (and that is a valid form or role playing)…but if doesn’t graft to the virtual shared world then its not really the deep and enjoyable role playing for me.
So yes, long story short, Lore is very important to me if there is going to be authentic role playing.
Authentic role playing.
Here is the basis of this thread -
“An MMO like this could become a great roleplay source for me and it would make me be able to have a second life, that is realistic but at the same time fictional. Somewhere I can escape from my real world problems, and have character problems.”
John I don’t think anyone really cares what you consider authentic role play. Some people are just looking for a good time and enjoy a nice escape from the real world and Orbus would be a fine place to do that.
I’d certainly listen to a few stories but, if your singing the whole time while we’re in the dungeon, you’ll be getting a few fireballs to the back. lol
I’m stoked to hear lore is very important to you! I feel like too many players of MMOs these days disregard story and lore and the effort and art that goes into building both, which is a real shame (although somewhat understandable due to the restrictions of MMO as a medium).
Unfortunately I can’t offer an answer regarding the no feet thing - at least not in terms of lore. I would suspect that looking down and seeing your vr feet moving when your real feet are not is probably a dizzying affair and that’s why we all float haha
I guess the issue is, and it’s something we are working hard to try and get around, is that to have a true RP experience you need to not only be able to live out your life as a character but also effect the world as that character. With MMOs it’s pretty hard to do that as everyone needs to be able to have access to the same “static” world no matter when they start playing or where they are in the game. It’s something that we are working on finding ways to get around that, but it’s new ground!
Anyway, I hope to convert you once the game releases because you lore hunters are the exact kind of people I’m writing for!
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If role playing means escapism for you then that’s great for you. You can find that in lots of games, and MMOs especially. Escapism in and of itself, no matter how fun, isn’t the only secret sauce in a good RPG imo…
I played Elite Dangerous for about 12 hours last night into this morning. I was “role playing” as a space trucker hauling my loads all over the galaxy. The only other player interaction was when someone tried to rob me and steal my haul about 8 hours in. ED is a great escapism game (and very pretty in VR if you haven’t tried it yet) — I blink and its 4am and I haven’t slept yet, but i’d be kinda lying if i called it an RPG, even thought it kinda technically is an mmorpg.
Since Orbus is an mmoRPG, however, I think what everyone thinks about the best type of role playing is important. I’d hope people do care what other people think…I certainly read other people’s ideas. Isnt that the point of forum discussion?
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I think most people understand the difference between a theme park mmo and an open world mmo. While Orbus will be rich with Lore (hidden lore books and scrolls. Secrets to discover about the history and future if the world. Really cool stuff) Orbus is an open world that promotes player generated content. For instance if I wanted to be a blade for hire, I dont need lore to tell me it exists. Hire me to escort you to a dangerous region so you can fish for rare fish in safety. Hire me to hunt a bandit that robbed you of precious materials. We create quests for each other and build our jobs ourselves. I think that’s the greatest strength a vrmmo can have. We aren’t looking in 3rd person at a million strangers ignoring chat boxes. We’re actually there crafting our own history and the lore is there for us to have a basic understanding of what the world is that we live in!
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I mean…That’s pretty much the point of roleplaying.
Wew lad. This is a big one so I’m going to break it down a bit because I agree on some points. Let’s actually start with those:
This part I agree with, “a merc is only as good as his work”. However I feel like if it doesn’t work out I can figure something else to do, but I felt like what I did do as a tank was a lot of fun and pretty decent with the parties I was in. But I agree, no point in role-playing something I can’t fulfill…
Also agree! I can’t say I’m a dragon who can fly and breath fire. Because that’s not possible (yet?), and un-true no matter how I spun it.
BUT here come the things I think differently on.
Let’s break this one down even more
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Yes, there is such a thing. Hi, Dreks here, sword for hire.
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You totally can live it out!
That’s why I wanted to do it, I got the idea from no joke walking around and had a mage ask if we could quest together because he needed a tanks help. Now that one I did for free because I also was doing the same quest so why not and lots of fun was had. As for future payments its still possible, there is an in game trading system so Bam! payment. -
It can totally play out for the world. Just like any business venture you know word of mouth is the best thing. So as long as i can hold up to being a good tank, I could possibly make a name for myself, especially around other RP players.
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Can it play out in lore? looks at sword and shield Yeah I’d say I got a fair shot at that.
Beautifully put man, I agree. It’s pretty awesome when there is a reason why the cave is fully of ghosts and has cool ruins in it. Especially when you find that cool story that gets you fired up each time you read it or even chills you to the bone! I totally have faith the creative team will make that. I wish you were in the Discord last night because we were talking pretty much about just that. It was great. But, that doesn’t always have to be there to make the game good, but I don’t think that was you’re point either.
Right now I think if you’re patient you will get some super badass lore soon.
Could not have said it better for myself! I don’t think I got the chance to play with you in the beta, but maybe next one we will meet and can do some escorts! gets a stern look But may out path not cross in battle. 
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I watched a couple of your youtube vids (didn’t even know it was you until your inventory opened up to your name ) Definitely a warrior fan haha It’s all I play and could drone on about it for hours. Good choice 
I think, my ultimate goal for the lore in Orbus, relating to roleplaying, is to develop a world of history and current action that occurs as independently from the player as the player can roleplay independently from the lore… If that makes sense. I have a real issue with the theme park entrapment of static world mmorpgs, and so am actively persuing a “living world model” with this game.
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Yes, I 100% agree with you that in a good open world MMO the players create emerging content. The game has to provide the so-called sandbox for us to do it in. In your blade for hire example is there an in game need for someone to hire you to protect them while fishing at a rare spot? Only if the game gets designed with places like this. Is there a need to hire you to escort someone to a dangerous region? Only if the game gets designed with places like this.
Sandbox MMO design is VERY difficult to get right…you have to create complicated enough content, mechanics, lore, etc. to allow the players enough room to create their own and community-wide emergent content. It is only beta, so I look forward to seeing how much the Devs can push this part of game design in a VR world.