Role Playing Techniques

[Electro_Funk]

Just wondered what role playing techniques people use to increase their immersion in skyrim?

 

[Professor Skalvar]

I don't really have a technique when it comes to role-playing a build. Rather, I try to come up with concepts to adhere by for role-play. For my recent character, I have decided to make him a fallen "Daedra" of sorts. What I mean by this is that he was banished from Oblivion (haven't come up with a backstory yet). For most of my play-through, he is very much like a paladin in concept and build archetype. However, he uses several Daedric artifacts to augment his power and conjures creatures from Oblivion to fight by his side. Strange? Yes, but I'm starting to love it! My next character will be a conjurer/knave hybrid where he'll ambush wandering travelers for money with a dagger (or bound sword) in hand and will conjure an atronach to aid him in the thievery.

 

[Porchdrinker]

I go through a ridiculously detailed character creation process where I randomly determine the character's flaws, virtues, hobbies, interests, favorite foods, goals, occupation, and end-game conditions. This info helps create routines and restrictions for the character.

I think restrictions are the heart of roleplay in a game like Skyrim, and can really flesh out a character. Right now, I'm playing a Bosmer shoemaker (can only smith and enchant boots).

Not sure if anyone else does this, but I have an RPG dice app on my phone, and I use it occasionally to make decisions, simulate a conversation with an NPC, determine if a set of armor fits, etc. For example, if I'm in Solitude to sell some bandit loot, I do a dice roll to determine if the shopkeeper is willing to buy or not. That kind of thing.

Also, in addition to eating and sleeping, I make my characters bathe, excercise, and celebrate holidays.

 

[FullmetalHeart20]

I go through a ridiculously detailed character creation process where I randomly determine the character's flaws, virtues, hobbies, interests, favorite foods, goals, occupation, and end-game conditions. This info helps create routines and restrictions for the character.

I think restrictions are the heart of roleplay in a game like Skyrim, and can really flesh out a character. Right now, I'm playing a Bosmer shoemaker (can only smith and enchant boots).

Not sure if anyone else does this, but I have an RPG dice app on my phone, and I use it occasionally to make decisions, simulate a conversation with an NPC, determine if a set of armor fits, etc. For example, if I'm in Solitude to sell some bandit loot, I do a dice roll to determine if the shopkeeper is willing to buy or not. That kind of thing.

Also, in addition to eating and sleeping, I make my characters bathe, excercise, and celebrate holidays.

Alright. I know that was really informative an all, but...you made an elvish shoemaker? Lol

 

[Wildroses]

I invest a lot in maintaining relationships with NPCs around me. No helping yourself to NPCs stuff, even if the game doesn't consider it stealing. What sort of friend walks into your house, helps yourself to your stuff, then walks out to sell it?

Something that's added a new twist in this is my recent decision to feed all children, animals, housecarls, spouses and stewards under my protection. Suddenly I have to buy all the salt and garlic I see, I curse how few leeks are in Skyrim, and I gain a real understanding of how little food there is in Skyrim. Hunting and fishing is as urgent as quests. In this playstyle, being a Thane means getting another damn mouth to feed and isn't as desirable anymore.

Also, a little backstory can work wonders. It can add colour and flavour to the random encounters and quests you do, not to mention the connections. As an example, on the character I'm currently playing, my character is a high elf who had parents who pissed off the Thalmor mightily, which is why she fled to Skyrim under an assumed name. One day she came across a Thalmor patrol not long after taking down a Dark Brotherhood assassin with a contract under her assumed name. Her fear the Thalmor had tracked her down became certainty two days later when she saw three different Thalmor patrols outside of Whiterun in the space of five minutes (not kidding). This has certainly changed her behaviour. She thinks that the Thalmor have decided they are unable to work directly against her when she is in Whiterun. What has this done to my gameplay? My character plans to never, ever move her family out of Whiterun. She will only leave Whiterun in the daytime and not get out of sight of the walls so she can race back to the protection of the guards if necessary (which she has had to do a few times because of bandits). If she is planning to go on a long journey she leaves Whiterun when it's fully dark to increase her chances of sneaking past the Thalmor surveillance. It plays havoc with her sleeping patterns. Lots of lovely roleplay restrictions I'd never have come up with on my own, and all because I gave her a little backstory.

A shoemaker? Nice. Way more creative than my travelling alchemist. I got to try that one day.

 

[Porchdrinker]

Alright. I know that was really informative an all, but...you made an elvish shoemaker? Lol

Yep, randomly generated race/occupation combo, and I thought I'd give it a shot. I love giving characters a commoner occupation before questing or joining a guild. I've done a bootlegger, a farmhand, and a fisherman, so why not a shoemaker?

 

[FullmetalHeart20]

I invest a lot in maintaining relationships with NPCs around me. No helping yourself to NPCs stuff, even if the game doesn't consider it stealing. What sort of friend walks into your house, helps yourself to your stuff, then walks out to sell it?

Something that's added a new twist in this is my recent decision to feed all children, animals, housecarls, spouses and stewards under my protection. Suddenly I have to buy all the salt and garlic I see, I curse how few leeks are in Skyrim, and I gain a real understanding of how little food there is in Skyrim. Hunting and fishing is as urgent as quests. In this playstyle, being a Thane means getting another damn mouth to feed and isn't as desirable anymore.

Also, a little backstory can work wonders. It can add colour and flavour to the random encounters and quests you do, not to mention the connections. As an example, on the character I'm currently playing, my character is a high elf who had parents who pissed off the Thalmor mightily, which is why she fled to Skyrim under an assumed name. One day she came across a Thalmor patrol not long after taking down a Dark Brotherhood assassin with a contract under her assumed name. Her fear the Thalmor had tracked her down became certainty two days later when she saw three different Thalmor patrols outside of Whiterun in the space of five minutes (not kidding). This has certainly changed her behaviour. She thinks that the Thalmor have decided they are unable to work directly against her when she is in Whiterun. What has this done to my gameplay? My character plans to never, ever move her family out of Whiterun. She will only leave Whiterun in the daytime and not get out of sight of the walls so she can race back to the protection of the guards if necessary (which she has had to do a few times because of bandits). If she is planning to go on a long journey she leaves Whiterun when it's fully dark to increase her chances of sneaking past the Thalmor surveillance. It plays havoc with her sleeping patterns. Lots of lovely roleplay restrictions I'd never have come up with on my own, and all because I gave her a little backstory.

A shoemaker? Nice. Way more creative than my travelling alchemist. I got to try that one day.

Also, if your character's in hiding, you can change your ace in Riften.