TwitchCon2022 Panel - The World of Virtual Reality Roleplay
A compilation of clips from various roleplays.
Roleplaying, role-playing or simply 'RP' is the act of assuming and playing a role other than your actual self. A form of make-believe and pretending. When roleplaying a character you might assume a completely different personality, values and goals or simply be an alternate version of yourself that is not really you.
Roleplay in VRChat shares elements with other forms of roleplay and acting, namely LARP, Improvisational Theatre, and even some tabletop roleplaying games like Dungeons and Dragons. What makes roleplay in VRChat unique is primarily the way the medium of VR is leveraged to provide an immersive experience for participants.
If you are brand new to roleplaying in general it's good to study some established basic concepts before getting started.
VRChat allows users to upload custom worlds and avatars for use in the game. For roleplay, this means that characters and the worlds that they inhabit are no longer limited to existing only in one's imagination. They are physically represented in the game, and through the power of VR, you can see the world through your character's eyes.
A large collection of of public avatars and worlds are available making it easy for new players to find a model to turn into a character, and start roleplaying. Additionally, many players choose to go the extra mile and make custom avatars for their characters. This is similar to how a costume might be used in LARP, however, avatars in VRChat can make the physically impossible real.
Development
This article won't expand on how to create an original character - "OC" - for short, or the technical sides on how to create 3D models or worlds. Here are some useful resources:
VRChat Docs - Developer Documentation for creating worlds and avatars
Due to the nature of roleplay lobbies, there are usually many people, and therefore many avatars present in the game world. It is generally seen as good etiquette to use an avatar that is optimized, that is, easier for computers to render in such lobbies. Many lobbies have rules regarding avatar performance, so make sure to read those before bringing an avatar into a roleplay lobby. Different groups have different requirements.
VR Gear - List of different VR gear and terminology used by RP groups
How do I start Roleplaying?
Many groups organize and meet via Discord since public worlds tend to get chaotic. Some groups are public for anyone to join others are closed and require some sort of application or vouching for new players. When you are joining a group be sure to study their rules beforehand.
All RP Groups - A list of all roleplaying groups that are documented on the wiki.
Join an Open Roleplay
Joining an Open Roleplay group requires minimal or no application process to join. With minimal restrictions on the characters themselves. Most current open roleplays tend to focus on social roleplay. Lobbies are usually run on a weekly schedule, but characters are allowed to "drop-in." That is, players do not have to commit to a single character, or even frequent the lobby in order to experience what the roleplay has to offer. Due to their accessibility, Open Roleplays offer a fantastic space for experimentation with character ideas.
Apply to a Closed Roleplay
Closed Roleplay requires some form of an application process or vouching system. Usually in the form of a character sheet following specific rules or theme dictated for the roleplay. This allows the roleplayers to tell a cohesive story centered on a specific cast of characters. "Closed" does not inherently imply that new people can't join, though it is generally helpful to familiarize oneself with the scene before committing to a Closed Roleplay. Some of the largest Closed Roleplay are often combined with high production value and content creation such as livestreaming on Twitch or YouTube.
Create your own Roleplay
Creating your own roleplay group can require a lot of dedication and time but be worth it if enough players are interested. A good start is creating a discord and wiki article explaining the theme, setting and rules for your group. To create articles on this wiki you have to register a new fandom account. Also see: The wiki start page.
Common themes and overarching groups
Metaverse RP
Metaverse is the largest roleplay setting in VRChat, being host to numerous open and closed roleplays. The term is borrowed from the many-worlds interpretation and multiverse description in quantum physics. If a roleplay is denoted as a Metaverse Roleplay, that means characters in that roleplay may potentially interact with characters in other Metaverse Roleplays. In addition, there are many characters in the Metaverse that are not tied to any specific roleplay.[1]
Metaverse RP Lore - Categories for various Lore related to the metaverse
MilSim & Military RP
MilSim short for Military simulation aims to simulate Combat and Immersion rather than a formal setting. Military RP on the other hand is a very popular form of Roleplay that is similar but aims to simulate fictional or historical military events. These groups are sometimes connected to other fictional lore canon from anime or video games that lack VR compatibility or the capability to create your own worlds and models. Different groups have different focus and often create their own Nation, Group, or Army.
Some Roleplay also referred to as "Light RP" are more similar to improvisational theater than any more structured or organized Roleplaying groups. They may lack any overarching theme or direction and adopt a more "anything goes" aspect and focus on jumping between public lobbies or entertaining friends or an audiance in various ways. Several of the largest VRChat livestreamers fall under this category. Such as Lolathon, Roflgator and MurderCrumpet.
Community Resources
General Resources
VRCRP Calendar - A Google Calendar specifically for Metaverse Open Lobbies[2].
Open Roleplaying Lobbies
Aether Chronicles - A VR RP created for both beginners and veterans alike. The RP facilitates players of all skill levels by blending a casual Open Lobby with structured modules run by game masters.
Dream Tree Cafe - A social RP set in a dream world, the cafe being built within a dream which allows people from any RP (Metaverse or not) to show up and enjoy a nice coffee and some company!
The Meatrack - The Meat Rack is a collection of cyberpunk oriented local businesses located at rock bottom Lower Zaphira, mostly inhabited by criminals and people who can't make it in the rest of the extremely corporate city.
Purple Lotus RP - A free-form roleplay environment created to welcome new roleplayers, with multiple locations in Zaphira City.
Closed Roleplays and Lore
While you may not be able to join closed RPs directly, some have paths to join via established members vouching for you or working your way to a character role by participating as supporting cast or being active in related communities over time.
Some closed Roleplays have dedicated writers that help document their history and lore with their own categories on this wiki.
The Mortisian Syndicate - A semi-open social RP set in 1920s in Babylon, Louisiana. Mafia themed RP.
Gallery
Notes
This article is protected and can only be edited by moderators of the wiki. To update join our discord and suggest a change!
References
↑The definition "metaverse" has no connection to Facebook/Meta and adopted the terminology already in 2017.
↑If you have an Open Metaverse lobby that you wish to have added to this calendar contact Nines on Discord with the roleplay's schedule. There is contact information contained within the calendar.
Check the RP Groups category for a list of active roleplaying groups that are documented on the wiki.
'What is Roleplaying?'Roleplaying, role-playing or simply 'RP' is the act of assuming and playing a role other than your actual self. A form of make-believe and pretending. When roleplaying a character you might assume a completely different personality, values and goals or simply be an alternate version of yourself that is not really you. Some roleplayers also enjoy to imitate other people or celebrities.
'Temporary relationships'
The charm of roleplaying entails that what happens during the game session is temporary - it applies only for the duration of the game session.
What happens during a roleplaying game session does not carry over into real life. Relationships like family, marriages or conflicts are only 'real' while participating in the game. What that character does is also dropped once the game is over or after changing character. Many long lasting friendships however also carry over and stay true in real life. Opponents in-character may become the best of friends out-of-character.
'Getting familiar with roleplaying'
Roleplaying in VRChat is in many aspects similar to playing a Live action role-playing game, also called LARP:ing.
Acting in a movie or a play is an example of 'scripted' roleplaying while improvising in an acting 'improv' class is a form of 'guided' roleplaying.
This article is intended to be a relatively short and an easy-to-read summary of some basic concepts for people who are new to roleplaying. Please correct and improve it but try not to make it much longer than it currently is. For more complex descriptions please create sub-articles and link to them for explaining specific concepts in further detail.
The concept of being in-character
When roleplaying there are two different states that are very important to separate. The difference may be very subtle or even impossible to notice to someone who doesn't know the character that a player is portraying. The concepts and difference however are extremely important. Don't confuse fiction with reality.
In-character - You are roleplaying.
Out-of-character (OOC) - You are NOT roleplaying. This is the real you.
Depending on the roleplay it can be very important to clarify when and if you go out-of-character, especially when roleplaying something dramatic or emotionally sensitive.
A method that is used by Roflgator and The Great Pug RP Collective is the act of clearly announcing that you're dropping/putting down your RP-card as their roleplay can get quite intense. When doing lighthearted roleplay this is seldom necessary.
The common rules of roleplaying
The rules of a game are usually decided beforehand in the downtime before the game starts or dictated and governed by a game-master (GM) during the game.
When LARP:ing there are rarely if ever any game-master which means that everyone involved needs to play a fair game and follow common shared rules and principles. This means participants should attempt to be modest and live up to each others boundaries and expectations. Depending on the roleplay, the lobby rules can be either very clearly defined or lighthearted.
An example of implementing stricter rules could be taking turns in some situations. This is usually only initiated when great detail and structure is required, for example during combat. Turn based combat outcomes are usually decided by using dice rolls.
The suggestion of an action, situation and reaction
A common concept in roleplaying is the suggestion of an act, a play, a story arc or some situation and reading the response (action and opposing reaction) of the other person you are interacting with. Are they willing to or not to go through with that action?
In RP - shooting a gun at someone does not mean that the character has to accept death. Chipz points a gun at R3dzDead.
'Acceptance'
If the other person plays along, the suggestion is accepted and the suggested action or situation can continue.
'Rejection'
If the other person does not play along but rejects or ignores the suggestion they do not want to explore that route. Saying 'no' is not the same thing as rejecting if the natural response to the situation by the character is 'no'. In those cases saying 'no' can be considered acceptance. To make things clearer implementing a 'safe word' can be a good idea or clearly announcing that something is out-of-character. Doing this also risk breaking immersion so there is some thought required behind this.
'Example interaction - Alice, Bob - and a gun'
Bob reached for his gun and points it at Alice.
Alice says "Oh no please don't!" but Bob pulls the trigger anyway.
In this situation Alice could either choose to:
Act like she is dying (Acceptance)
Act like she is injured (Semi-acceptance)
Act like like Bob missed (Rejection)
Depending on Alice response, being a fair roleplayer Bob would play along and continue in either path depending on Alice's different responses. While Bob may have pointed the gun straight at Alice's face this does not prove that she is dead. To participate and play the game some adaptations need to be done. Depending on how advanced a game session is and how experienced the roleplayers are, personalities participating can sometimes break the rules to a degree in order to make a game more interesting.
Death of a character is a very difficult concept and should not be taken lightly as many roleplayers are heavily invested in their characters which might mean it's a good idea to have this kind of roleplay 'guided' beforehand or performed using turn-based combat using dice.
Obviously the reality when playing is more complex than these interaction but it serves as an example that multiple parties can agree on before starting a game.
Summarizing or clarifying after-the-fact
Similar to an act on a stage improv performance, the exact series of events taking place might not portray the agreed upon outcome. Sometimes situations can get confusing with many things occurring at once and may need to be quickly corrected, changed, clarified or repeated after the events have taken place. This is called summarizing, clarifying or sometimes dictating after the fact of the occurred events that took place.
It's very important to summarize right away after the event occurred. If too long time has passed the rest of the roleplaying group wont be able to keep track if a correction was made. When the story is changed later it's called retcon.
'Example interaction - Alice, Bob - and a gun'
Bob shoots the gun at Alice and she acts like she is dying (Follows path 1).
But Bob still still asks Alice to make sure: "I killed you didn't I?"
Alice responds: "No it is but a flesh wound..."
Now the outcome has changed from 1) to 2) because Alice changed her mind about what happened.
Glossary
This article lists some common terminology used when roleplaying and explains some basic concepts common to live-action roleplaying.
'Scripted'
The plan of something that is going to happen is written down beforehand. This can be slightly planned by agreeing beforehand what the journey and goal or outcome is supposed to be or meticulously scripted in detail. A movie for example is scripted and the participants are acting.
'Rehearsed'
Similar to scripting rehearsing means that a group gets together and plans a particular scenario by practicing beforehand. This is similar in some ways to the above but there is no handwritten script.
Death of a character can be guided. AJLiddell is murdered by Doom Guy.
'Guided'
If something is guided the only similarity to scripting is that the goal (or parts of) the roleplay is agreed to beforehand but the way to get there is not. The destination is known but the journey to reach the destination is not. An example could be deciding who will win in a fight but leaving everything else to improvisation. It could also mean the reverse, that a fight was decided that it will occur beforehand but not who will become the winner.
Not everyone who participates in a roleplaying session needs to know if something is guided. It can be just two people who agree to play out a specific scenario and allowing the rest to improvise to that scenario.
'Improv'
Taken from the popular acting from improvisational theater 'Improv' is a common way to practice your acting by assuming different roles and following instructions while being guided by someone. This is similar to LARP:ing but someone supervising. (Similar to having a gamemaster)
A common method of practicing quick improvised acting is the supervisor announcing 'Switch!' which is an order for the player to change their character or role in some way to refresh up the game.
'Breaking immersion'
The act of breaking immersion means that someone ruins every participants assumptions or expectations of what is going on in the current roleplaying setting. Here are some example of breaking immersion:
Talking about a cellphone while roleplaying in a medieval setting
Bringing up and talking about a Twitch donation when roleplaying in VRChat
'Meta-gaming'
Meta-gaming means that your character uses knowledge that he or she could never have known about unless learned while out-of-character. Depending on the type of roleplay where keeping secrets could be important, meta-gaming can break a game completely, especially if it's done intentionally.
'Power-gaming'
Power-gaming is when you attempt to force or push a situation that the other players are not interested in or wish to explore. It can also be creating an unbalanced character that wins in every situation. For example:
A character that is immortal with supernatural or god-like powers.
The player constantly rejects suggestions made by other people.
The player repeatedly makes suggestions that the other players reject but continue as if they accepted anyway.
Participants in a game will usually not enjoy the game if they cant play on somewhat equal terms. As the ultimate goal of roleplaying is to have a positive experience together exploring different roles, it's good to have modesty when creating a character and responding to interactions.
VRChat is mostly like a chat room where people can be quickly invited and depends on someone keeping track of and informing people if there are any rules enforced in a lobby. Unlike LARP:ing where everyone is well informed beforehand of any rules and limitations.
Some creatures are just too much to handle. Drekwiz portraying a crazy Hobbit.
'Safe word'
A word is decided upon beforehand that allows the person to quickly step out-of-character.
This is most often used in ERP and is similar to the act of dropping RP-card.
'ERP'
This is short for Erotic Role Play. When attempting any kind of ERP in VRChat remember to ask people of their age to make sure they are old enough to give consent.
Trivia
Roleplaying may not be as complicated as quantum mechanics but Alice and Bob still find it more exciting than keeping track of their keychains.
The term 'RP BTW' (Role-Play By-The-Way) has earned meme-like reputation in the VRChat community as a reminder that something is in-character and not out-of-character. The etymology of this term has been construed in some circles and there are mixed opinions on it's proper usage.
Related articles
Here are some links to articles related to roleplaying and different roleplaying groups.
The rules of a game can vary widely depending on the specific roleplay, and so it is important to make sure everyone is on the same page before playing. Rules are usually decided beforehand in the downtime before the game starts or governed by a game-master (GM) - also sometimes referred to as dungeon-master (DM) - during the game. That being said, there are some rules and concepts that show up in many different roleplays.
The concept of Being in-character
When roleplaying there are two different states that are very important to separate:
In-character - When the player is currently roleplaying and acting as a character rather than themselves. In this state, the player, and their character are part of a fiction.
Out-of-character - When the player is NOT roleplaying.
The difference may be very subtle or even impossible to notice without knowing the character that a player is portraying especially if the player is a skilled actor.
Depending on the roleplay it can be very important to clarify when and if you go out-of-character, especially when roleplaying something dramatic or emotionally sensitive. A terminology that was made popular in early RP groups was the act of clearly announcing that you're raising or dropping your RP-card. You would say "RP Card Up" to indicate that you are getting in character, and "RP Card Down" to indicate that what you say next is no longer in character. This is often abbreviated to just "Cards Up" or "Cards Down".
What happens in a roleplay while in character does not carry over into real life. Relationships like family, marriages or conflicts are only 'real' while participating in the game. What a character does is dropped once the game is over or after changing character. Likewise, real life does not carry over into a game session. Don't confuse fiction with reality.
'Action and Reaction'
Improvisational roleplay is not scripted (or at the very least, not entirely scripted). And so, when two characters interact, players need some way to come to an agreement about what happens. A roleplay might have rules about certain types of interactions, and may have a game master serve as a moderator for other types of interactions. But often, players will need to come to an agreement amongst themselves on the spot. In this sort of situation, when one player does something in character, the responsibility falls upon the other players to react to it and make that action feel real.
'Acceptance and Rejection'
Let's say one character punches another character. Who decides if the punch hits? In this situation, it is useful to look at the punch as a suggestion for a course of action, that the reacting player can choose how to react to.
If the reacting player accepts the suggestion, that means they play along with it, and the suggested course of action can continue. In the case of a punch, acceptance might include staggering back, and acting hurt to indicate that the punch was successful. If instead, the reacting player rejects, or ignores the suggestion, they indicate that they don't want to explore that course of action.
Saying 'no' is not the same thing as rejecting an action. If saying 'no' is a natural response to the action then doing so can be considered acceptance of the action. For example, if a player reacts to a punch by dodging to the side, they have rejected the punch hitting them, but they have still acknowledged the reality of the punch, and doing so is much more immersive than standing still and ignoring the punch. At the same time, repeatedly dodging attacks rejects the idea that the other character is a competent fighter. Finding a balance between acceptance and rejection is important for improvisational roleplay to flow smoothly and feel fair.
'Yes, and...'"Yes, and..." is a fundamental concept from improv that can also benefit roleplay. "Yes" means to accept the suggestion offered by the other player. "And" means to build upon and add to the suggestion, which provides the other player with a new suggestion that they can react to. In this way, players can bounce off each other, and help each other build a scene.
Roleplay is not just improv and so it is not expected that every suggestion is accepted, especially if that suggestion makes you uncomfortable. But as a general rule, being agreeable and following the principle of "Yes And" tends to lead to more interesting interactions between characters than being disagreeable and rejecting suggestions.
'Character Bleed'
Bleed is a term used to refer to when a player's emotions affect their character or visa versa. If kept in check, character bleed can enhance a player's immersion. If left unmanaged bleed can cause unwanted or detrimental emotions both in and out of character. For example:
in-character conflicts become out-of-character conflicts and visa-versa
a player feels uncomfortable opposing their friend's character, even though it's justified in character
a player in an in-character relationship develops feelings for the other player
It is important to remember to keep reality and fiction separate, and be aware of bleed when it happens. Feeling bleed is fine, and may even be inevitable in an emotional roleplay. But acting upon those emotions causes problems more often than not.
Things to Avoid
'Power-gaming'
Power-gaming, or playing to win, is a style of roleplaying where a player prioritizes maximizing progress towards their own goals, often to the detriment of other aspects of the game. Roleplaying with others is inherently a collaborative activity, and so focusing primarily on one's own character goals without considering others usually leads to friction between players out of character.
In roleplay, power-gaming often manifests itself when a player makes a very powerful character that can solve or win every situation they are put in (hence the name). Additionally, it can also be when a player becomes disagreeable if they don't get their way. For example:
A character that is immortal with supernatural or god-like powers.
The player constantly rejects suggestions made by other people.
The player repeatedly makes suggestions that the other players reject but continue as if they were accepted anyway.
As the ultimate goal of roleplaying is to have a positive experience together exploring different roles, including a character's successes and failures, it is good to have modesty when creating a character and responding to interactions.
'Meta-gaming'
Meta-gaming describes a player's use of out-of-character knowledge about the state of a game or other characters within the game, to inform their character's actions, when their character does not have relevant in-character information. In a roleplay where keeping secrets is important, meta-gaming can break a game completely, especially if it's done intentionally.
'Breaking Immersion'
Immersion is a state where a player feels like they are their character, rather than just pretending to play them. Immersion is often sought after as a goal in many roleplays. A players immersion may be broken by bringing real life into the world of the roleplay session. For example:
Talking about a cellphone while roleplaying in a medieval setting
Bringing up and talking about a Twitch donation when roleplaying in VRChat
Pausing frequently to go out of character
The exception to this is if there is ever a need to go out of character or leave VR due to outside circumstances, or if you are not feeling well for any reason. Real life always takes precedence over the game, so if you need to leave, do so.
Glossary
A list of common words and terminologies used in roleplay with short explanations.
GM - Game master - Those in charge of directing and mediating the roleplay
DM - Dungeon master - Another word for GM, borrowed from tabletop games like Dungeons and Dragons
d20 - A 20-sided dice. Borrowed from tabletop games. Sometimes physical or simulated dice using particle effects on avatars are used by GM:s to determine the outcome of a course of action.
d2, d4, d6, d10 etc - 2-sided, 4-sided, 6-sided etc dice. Similar to above.
Canon Lore - What is considered the accurate continuity in a fictional media. This may be determined by the group leaders or GM:s of that particular RP. In some open roleplay, canon may be what is considered by each individual player and there does not need to be a canonical term of events, but rather each player has their own canon from their point-of-view.
Retcon - Short for Retroactive Continuity - Originating from other fictional media it is a method in which an occurrence is changed after the events. An example can be the death of a character which did not occur in line with the rules of an RP and which death was changed to never have occurred according to the "canon".
Directing/Summarizing - If a situation or outcome becomes unclear and the proper "canon" turn of events are dictated after or during its occurrence. This can be similar to a GM narrating an event and players taking turns during a conflict.
Scripted/rehearsed- The act of preparing outcomes beforehand and not having them occur naturally. This can be very loosely planned as in "x is going to happen" and nothing more, or extremely detailed akin to acting out and recording a scene with a script for a movie.
Safe-word - A word that allows you to step out of character without breaking immersion. Similar to "dropping your RP card".
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