Disclaimer: Escape from the Underdark is the only roleplaying persistent world that I play in; I do not know how things are handled in other roleplaying persistent worlds.

My name is Joseph Silver, and I play as a neutral evil male human wizard named Argent Gish. I am half-powergamer and half-roleplayer. I believe that roleplaying should be fun, not tedious.

Dungeons and Dragons is all about having fun. There is no single correct way to play this game. Whether you are a pure powergamer or a pure roleplayer, as long as you're having fun, you're playing the right way.

Playing on a roleplaying server is fun. The people in Escape from the Underdark strive to roleplay their characters in realistic ways. However, too much realism can be bad for the game.

One thing that I have noticed in this persistent world is that people walk instead of running. This makes the game world feel more realistic, since in real life, most people walk instead of running all the time.

This is one case of too much realism being bad for the game.

In PNP D&D, players do not roleplay their characters walking down the street. Instead, it would go like this:

Party Leader: We go to the Rock Bottom inn. DM: You walk towards the Rock Bottom inn. When you enter, you hear the familiar sound of people talking, laughing, singing, and having fun.

Another example:

DM: Inside the chest you find a map. The city of Neverwinter is encircled on the map. Party Leader: So our next stop will be Neverwinter. How far is it from here? DM: It is about 100 miles away. The journey should take four days. Party Leader: Okay, we go to Neverwinter. DM: *rolls several dice* You did not encounter any trouble during your four-day journey. You are now in Neverwinter.

Basically, if you want to go somewhere, and you encounter nothing on your way, you "teleport" there instantly. Of course, a lot of time passes in the game world, but in real life, very little time passes.

I believe that characters should walk only when traveling short distances. Walking is "realistic", but it wastes time. Walking wastes time that could've been spent fighting, gaining experience, and earning coin. Walking wastes time that could've been spent roleplaying.

Bioware realized that fun > realism. They decided that gnomes, dwarves, and halflings would get to move at the same speed as the taller races. In PNP, the shorter races move at 2/3 the speed of the taller races. They decided that running would not cause fatigue, because it would otherwise take too long to get anywhere in the game.

There are times when walking is completely unrealistic. Walking in combat, for example, is very unrealistic. I've seen mages engaged in melee walking away from their attacker instead of running away. In real life, if a man wielding a knife (or a gun) is after you, and you have no way of defending yourself, wouldn't you try to run away as fast as you can?

Let us not be too fanatical in our desire for realism. Let us remember that fun > realism.

What do you think?

My characters don't walk anywhere, although it's not for the reason you suggested. In truth, my characters run everywhere to avoid the nasty problem of stealthed individuals following them. As no one can run in stealth, I just run everywhere, ditching anyone trying to stealth along behind my character.

Your suggestion makes sense, though-but you need to keep in mind the obvious gameplay and mechanical benefits you'll get from it, rather than simply propose fun over realism. The advantage of running everywhere is that it puts your character at an advantage out-of-combat. You can also run everywhere to avoid having to interact with people you don't like-if you see a character you don't want to bother with, just ran past really fast, and hope he/she/it playing the character isn't a swift enough typist to get off a line before you're out of hearing range. I suggest hotkeying "*nods*" for these situations, so it doesn't look like you're snobbing anyone.

In conclusion-you raised a good point, but you have to expound upon the obvious gameplay benefits for people to adopt it.

Thanks for bringing this up, Argent Gish.

Rock the casbah.

I don't see the appeal of running around everywhere like a chicken with its head cut off. Do you run everywhere in real life? It's immersion breaking, it looks dumb, and it makes it impossible for people to interact with you on any reasonable level if you're constantly running in the other direction.

EfU is a roleplaying server, it's intended to tell deep interesting stories, not to "fight, gain experience, and earn coin."

I think that realism is more important in this case than the fun of looking like an idiot by running everywhere.

I only run when I'm alone and have no reason to spend the 15 minutes walking from one point to another.

I admit it!

I hesitate to write anything really, as I'd rather not tell anyone how to play the game.

However, I react to everthing I see ingame as if its actually happening. I am unlikely to take your character as seriously as you might want if I see him running from place to place (in fullplate for example) for no reason. It takes very little time to walk from the Rockbottom to the Crone, afterall.

This took me sometime to get used to. In addition, as some snobby airforce brat put it, I run if theres no reason to walk alone for fifteen minutes.

I, too, thought this was odd when I first began on EfU, but now wouldn't have it any other way. As one pointed out above, it's much harder for others to interact with you when they can't type a sentence as you fly by...

Also - I feel it adds another way to RP on the server. When someone runs through a room instead of walking, folks can assume he's in a hurry for some reason... I think it's great - allowing time for folks to chat/RP when walking in groups (on the way to a quest or whatever)...

My 2 cents...

[takes long, leaping strides] <3

To clarify Kotenku's point, nobody's going to assume you're an idiot or a bad roleplayer just because you're running. I used to live in a city. Some people walked really fast, some people ran, some people jogged. It's a common occurence. If you're in a rush, you run. If you're not, you don't. I think that's a good guideline to go by in EfU.

edit: I was probably playing one of those mages that walked instead of ran from a monster. At the time you said it's not realistic to be walking in combat. I disagreed although I didn't say anything. If you run, you provoke an AoO which, if it crits, and you're a mage, you will die. If you walk, it can be considered as covering your flanks and if there's someone else fighting that monster, the monster will turn to that person and you will disengage without a scratch.

As always, if you use walk to avoid combat for more than a few steps, this is an exploit as the monsters can never catch up to you.

A good rule of thumb is to take a few steps to leave combat, but if a monster moves toward you, run (or fight if you're encumbered).

Although I appreciate you sharing your opinion, I think with time you'd come to agree that walking vs. running adds a lot to the server. For one thing, it allows that evil assassin that's tracking you to be able to keep up in stealth.

To clarify Kotenku's point, nobody's going to assume you're an idiot or a bad roleplayer just because you're running.

Maybe I'm an elitist, but when I see a new name I've never seen before running around in rags and a pot helm, trying to get that delivery quest done, I get the distinct impression that the person is new to the server, and definitely new to roleplaying. That's not such a bad thing, but these are, as a rule of thumb, (it's a stereotype, I know, and I'm a horrible person, shut up) these are also the people who don't type properly, and are mostly in the dark about roleplaying.

So maybe not so much an idiot, just ignorant. OOCly, speaking.

Walking as a whole dows make the server more pleasing to the eye and permit more role playing. But there are certainly times when running is acceptable and RP appropriate. Say you have a character that is into fitness like a monk. Running might be in your training regiment. Or even on fed ex quests. You dont want that pie to get cool before you deliver it do you?

It's not fun for me (and indeed, the rest of the playerbase that dislikes it when people run everywhere that I estimate being somewhere in the regions of 99% given that practically everyone walks everywhere) to see you run. I find it offputting and destructive to my playing experience because it is unrealistic and out of character. Tantamount to going everywhere talking OOCly, really.

If it is fun for you to run, but not fun for the rest of the server to see people running around, I'm afraid you ought to bite the bullet and maximize the server happiness by not running.

There are also practical issues, as raised by Howland.

But is walking everywhere whilst in town so much to ask? Really?

*Garem randomly pops back in!*

DIE KOTENKU!!!

Hey guys! Long time no see. To the meat of it:

Argent, you're entirely right that it IS about fun. But be careful when you say that, because the "It's all about fun" card is NOT the absolute trump. Let's use the extreme instance of meta-gaming. Sure, it may be a LOT of fun to do it, but it is still wrong.

And really, running without reason actually is meta-gaming, albeit the lowest rung of metagame offenses. You're doing something your character would not do for out of character reasons.

What I'm trying to say is that what may be fun for you may have a negative impact on the immersion (fun) of other players. Running all the time for no reason does this. That being said, if you don't have a reason to run*, why would you want to do it? If you're impatient and want to get to the action of the game, make sure to SHOW THAT through your character when others are around or you are in a "public" area.

Also, make note, I'm not telling anyone how to play a character. But I will say, if you want to play on an RP server, you need to RP, and do it all the time.

Final note. I do hope I'm not coming off as pushy, I just want everyone to have a good time.

Peace, enjoy the server- whatever aspect of it you may find to be the best.

DIE KOTENKU!!!!!!!!

*Yea, when noone is around and you're just resting or something, or maybe you have a party waiting for you and they've been waiting for twenty minutes just to do one quest, yadda yadda yadda, running is more than acceptable.

I have to agree with the majority, here. There should be a difference between running and walking, seeing as there are more reasons to move, other than to get from A to B. If you see someonw run, there are several reasons to why: 1) He's fleeing from something, 2) He is in a hurry, 3) His pants is on fire, 4) His coat will get wrecked by teh rain, 5) Other.

As pointed out above, if you constantly run about, people won't have a chance to get to roleplay with you. I see your point. In Take 20, you instantly roll max, instead of rolling over and over, thus wasting time. However, I simply feel that it adds to the universe to walk.

(Something else, that I forgot).

Walk when it's reasonable to walk, and run when it's reasonable to run. Sometimes when I'm going from place to place, I switch between the two. It's all subjective.

I walk for my own immersion, not necissarily for others. When I play single player games and the like I make efforts to build up self-imposed immersion. Walking around, instead of running, is part of that for me. For my own enjoyment, I would much rather do something that my character would do in theatre than do whatever is most convenient for me as a player in a game. Not to mention immersing other players around me.

Besides, sometimes we think to materialistically. "How much y can I get in x time interval!?" Taking your time can lead to a more tranquil life. That's my belief anyhow. May as well apply that to my gaming, it being part of life.

EfU is a roleplaying server, it's intended to tell deep interesting stories, not to "fight, gain experience, and earn coin."

My character, Argent Gish, is a mercenary. His main motivation is earning coin through fighting. In this case, it IS all about earning coin.

Argent, you're entirely right that it IS about fun. But be careful when you say that, because the "It's all about fun" card is NOT the absolute trump. Let's use the extreme instance of meta-gaming. Sure, it may be a LOT of fun to do it, but it is still wrong.

And really, running without reason actually is meta-gaming, albeit the lowest rung of metagame offenses. You're doing something your character would not do for out of character reasons.

Metagaming is not fun for me. I prefer to actually roleplay a character instead of grabbing the Dungeon Master's Guide and the Monster Manual to figure out how to kill the next monster most efficiently.

When I run, I don't take it literally, in the same way that PNP "teleportation" isn't taken literally. You don't take everything you see in the game literally.

Besides, sometimes we think to materialistically. "How much y can I get in x time interval!?" Taking your time can lead to a more tranquil life. That's my belief anyhow. May as well apply that to my gaming, it being part of life.

Time is gold. I disagree.

Anyway, this thread has given me something else to roleplay ingame. Argent Gish, mercenary wizard, is now impatient. This means that he's always in a hurry to get everywhere.

Wow. An in-character explanation for out-of-character convenience.

here are my mains points as to why walk:

-people can speak to you, and your not away from screen when they finish typing their sentence.

-people can sneak up on you.

-it looks a lot better, having a town where everyone walks , then one where everyone runs, so if everyone applied your policy, it wouldnt be good, the opposite is not true.

-you can still take that walking time, to chat, its not wasted as being idle somewhere in a tavern talking.

-you will not become bitter because you ran on a trap and died , because it happens to everyone who run.. in quests or otherwise.

Here is my opinion walk and run realisticly. Its really hard to run around town wearing armor Imagine Irl a man running around in armor and suddenly bump into someone. So I dont think wariors in armor should be running all the time. i think in noncombat armor users should walk. My position run whenever possible. Also as far as walking in combat I find that very dumb. Imagine in irl zombies suddenly begin walking and skeletons begin rioting your town with swords and you have nothing. what will you do

A RUN LIKE HELL B walk away at a normal pace

c CHARGE INTO BATTLE LIKE HELL

d walk at a normal pace to enemies rapidly charging at you with swords pointing at you.

IF you chose B or D your likely suicidal and should consort your local sychologists my choice is A RUN LIKE HELL because when its a 14 year old whos hobys are videogames reading and DandD vs a skeleton with a sword im gonna loose.

sory double post

Here is my opinion walk and run realisticly. Its really hard to run around town wearing armor Imagine Irl a man running around in armor and suddenly bump into someone. So I dont think wariors in armor should be running all the time. i think in noncombat armor users should walk. My position run whenever possible. Also as far as walking in combat I find that very dumb. Imagine in irl zombies suddenly begin walking and skeletons begin rioting your town with swords and you have nothing. what will you do

A RUN LIKE HELL B walk away at a normal pace

c CHARGE INTO BATTLE LIKE HELL

d walk at a normal pace to enemies rapidly charging at you with swords pointing at you.

IF you chose B or D your likely suicidal and should consort your local sychologists my choice is A RUN LIKE HELL because when its a 14 year old whos hobys are videogames reading and DandD vs a skeleton with a sword im gonna loose.

You run everywhere it is virtualy impossible to enteract with you and say someone was gunna ask you if you wanted to come on clownland but no, you ran past.

Howland Although I appreciate you sharing your opinion, I think with time you'd come to agree that walking vs. running adds a lot to the server. For one thing, it allows that evil assassin that's tracking you to be able to keep up in stealth.

Of course you cant turn around look him right in the eye and reveal him even in a brightly lit area unless you actually roll a spot/search check. But thats an unavoidable engine drawback.

Even if your character is completely paranoid about assassins, it simply wont let you avoid being sneak attacked out it the open when you're standing there or walking.

So I think running around BECAUSE the character is paranoid is a reasonable work around. I certainly wouldnt advocate running around as a norm though, but if your character has a reason to do so. Extreme fear is a good reason :)

Anyone evar gone to the shops and seen someone running around? You stoped him and asked him wazzup and he said "oh, im just trying not to get assassinated"?

Ironicly in real life running around would actually make you more susceptable to being attaked by an assaisn since when youre running youre not paying as much attention to your surroundings.

Both of the last posts make good points.

Basically, you shouldn't run unless you have an in-character reason to. Running to get somewhere quickly if you're late is okay, running everywhere to 'avoid assasination' for example isn't.

What DM is going to want to interact with a headless chicken--short of putting up a stopsign... and by stop sign I mean Hook Horror. =)

imo, feel free to run Argent. But don't be surprised when everyone assumes you are a) in a hurry (for whatever reason including being persued) or b) a little bit loony. In real life if someone pushes past me at high speed because they are in a rush, I think that person is rude. ie. feel free to run, but my characters might not like you for it. :D

Anyway, this thread has given me something else to roleplay ingame. Argent Gish, mercenary wizard, is now impatient. This means that he's always in a hurry to get everywhere.

Wow. An in-character explanation for out-of-character convenience.

That's the right attitude to have about it if you really do want to run everywhere, though chezcal's point about Argent being considered a bit crazy still stands. You know those usually nerdy kids in high school that wear their backpacks as high as they can and run from class to class (not that they would EVER be late for a class anyways)?

A wizard that runs everywhere. :) I'll say no more, I love that mental image.

On a somewhat derailing note, I think I'm going to hop into the server this weekend for Fall Break. See you kiddos then I hope!

I run or jog everywhere in real life, and I usually avoid people who are walking in front of me. I swerve, go off the path, whatever. I still say hi as I go past, but in general I don't see where people get the idea running is bad in RP, since it's entirely realistic when no one has a car, and few have horses. Who has time to waste walking so casually?

I'm bleeding to death, and sure it hurts to run, but I'll probably bleed out by the time I get somewhere where I can get help. Oh well, I probably shouldn't run because it might look unrealistic!

The question is about people who run -everywhere-. Having a specific reason, like running from battle or getting to a meeting you've arranged and are late for, is fine. If it makes sense IC to run, there is no reason you shouldn't. I usually avoid characters that run everywhere for no real reason.

It's all really pretty simple!