Storyboard is a roleplaying-in-gaming column by Eliot Lefebvre. Previous entries published on Engadget. [Follow this column’s RSS feed]
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Storyboard: The tiers of unseen places in MMORPGs
Before Final Fantasy XIV's first expansion arrived, I was playing an Ishgardian character. This was true for quite some time, even, since I started playing...
Vague Patch Notes: The philosophies of player characters in MMORPGs
Today's Vague Patch Notes column, as the title implies, is going to be kind of abstract and philosophical. It is about the philosophies of...
Storyboard: The challenges of breaking into a calcified MMORPG roleplaying community
In some ways, this should be a really easy column to write because breaking into a calcified RP community is actually really easy. People...
Storyboard: What diegesis actually means in MMORPGs
Today's article is brought to you by me, as I am very, very annoyed at the fact that RuneScape's designers apparently do not know...
Storyboard: How seriously should MMOs take serious subjects?
This week saw the newest installment of the ongoing Phantom Weapon questline in Final Fantasy XIV, and that's important because it features a number of...
Storyboard: The myth of the story bible for MMOs
A while back, one of our regular commenters proposed the idea that the thing that World of Warcraft needs - or at least one of...
Storyboard: How do you get over shyness for MMORPG roleplaying?
Folks, you may or may not believe me when I tell you this, but I am pretty shy. I know this tends to surprise...
Storyboard: How MMORPG housing is important for roleplaying
If you read back through the various things I have written about roleplaying over the years, you will probably find discussion about how important...
Storyboard: The dark lure of the wallflower in MMORPG roleplaying
One of the great lies about roleplaying is that it's a chance to play your favorite character from other media. That is only occasionally...
Storyboard: The age of the big MMORPGs is an impediment to roleplaying
As a general rule, folks who know me know that I generally err on the side of being positive, especially about roleplaying. There are...
Storyboard: The struggle of choice in MMORPG stories
I have been thinking a lot about the storytelling in Star Wars: The Old Republic recently. This is not actually all that unusual; I think...
Storyboard: Dealing with the things your MMOs characters can’t do (but still can)
In the middle of Final Fantasy XIV's post-Stormblood patches, there's a scene where the characters need to purchase a specific katana. An exact price...
Storyboard: How do you roleplay in MMOs that don’t want you to roleplay?
Readers, I am about to blow your minds. Are you ready to have your minds absolutely blown? It's going to be a huge shock,...
Warframe of Mind: The day Warframe’s story broke me
I am not someone who is an easy mark for breaking down as a sobbing mess with a sad moment in a story, which is why it surprised me when Warframe made me sob with its storytelling. If you've ever thought it's a narrative-light game that's just space ninjas shooting weird dudes, this is a refutation of that.
Wisdom of Nym: Final Fantasy XIV’s story does not know you are playing a video game
In Rich Burlew's long-running webcomic Order of the Stick, there's a moment early in the comic when a fire has engulfed the inn the...
Storyboard: Yes, there really is actual roleplaying happening in MMORPGs
It started with my character saying one word. "No."
Both men on the bridge were surprised to hear it, least of all from someone who...
Storyboard: Understanding character goals in MMO roleplaying
Not everyone who enjoys tabletop roleplaying enjoys roleplaying in MMOs. This is fine because they are different things and you are under no obligation...
Storyboard: Who gets to be the hero of an MMORPG?
When Guild Wars 2 launched, there was a contingent of people who were very, very annoyed about Trahearne. There were a lot of players...
Storyboard: Roleplaying in MMORPGs is much more common than you think
Back around the time when the game's first expansion was a going concern, there was a post on the World of Warcraft forums about...
Storyboard: The fine art of letting your character fail in MMORPG roleplaying
Do you know why tabletop roleplaying games use dice? Every game designer ever will lie about the reason. The reason cited is to create...
