Thread: Fine to RP if I know nothing about LotR?

I'm new to Lord of the Rings Online and new to role play. I am wondering if it is fine to role play, even though I know very little about the lore behind Lord of the rings. I've played around some with role play in WoW and didn't find it very fun there. I could wonder around and suddenly step into the world of ghost busters or people pretending to be ponies. Is Lord of the rings like that?
Anyhow if I were to role play any, I would avoid things such as god modding another player and any lore bending subjects.
Also, are there any good realms for RP that aren't going to be like Moonguard? Thanks

As far as I'm concerned 'most' people that RP act like they know too much of what is happening in the world. Just FYI, but in Tolkien's Middle-Earth, most of the various area were fairly independent and there was not that much interaction between them on a common-man basis. Someone walking around who didn't even know where Rivendell was at would be perfectly normal.

If I were you, I would actually stress the "common man / women" theme and basically be polite and just walk around talking to people and inquirint about the big-world that may be as close as 10 miles away. I think that is more realistic.

If you're new to both LOTRO and RPing, make a character on Landroval (RP encouraged server). Then graduate from the introduction for new characters. Then go to Bree and also look on the Landroval kinship forums here for an RPlite kinship and be honest with them about yourself and your LOTR knowledge and the help you'll need in the game. Join a RPlite kinship that is active, feels right, will support new players, and begin learning and doing.

Good fortune.

One thing you can try is sort of a spinoff of someone above.

Get involved in small little RPs around a town but stay in character of your character.

For example it would not be out of character for a hobbit running around Bree to be wide eyed and amazed by the "enormity" of it all and ask someone where they could find second breakfast.

The other night I had a wonderful impromptu RP experience simply by standing and watching some musicians outside an inn playing. My little hobbit clapped and danced and cheered their performance and then bought them a round of ale. Which led to a short but fun few minute of RP conversation.

Start small. Get in the habit of being in character mos of the time. Engage folks in small ways. If you get stuck or make a mistake just say so with (()) around it to denote you are speaking out of character. Most are more than happy to help out.

Originally Posted by AidanNix

I could wonder around and suddenly step into the world of ghost busters or people pretending to be ponies. Is Lord of the rings like that?
Anyhow if I were to role play any, I would avoid things such as god modding another player and any lore bending subjects.

The two main servers are Laurelin and Landroval. I would NOT recommend you try to RP without LoTR knowledge on Laurelin, but Landroval may be more open to it.

I think you'll find that most roleplay involves some knowledge of the background material. Even just watching the movies will do you better than trying to play Ghostbusters or ponies... which might get you a lot of, well, negative attention.

Lord of the Rings has a LOT of very rich background material. If RP is fun for you, you might enjoy diving into some of it.

I think you are confused about roleplaying in a game, there is no need to be your character, you don't have to act out. Just be yourself and play the game. If you want to "role play" it's up to you, you don't need to, no reason to except for your own pleasure. I don't, I run my male lead character and his 3 female support characters, but I don't play my women like I'm a woman; well one wont where a helmet because it will muss up her hair ; lol. I play my females the same as my male, I don't act out or carry on a conversations as a woman.

Originally Posted by Mirarian

One thing you can try is sort of a spinoff of someone above.

Get involved in small little RPs around a town but stay in character of your character.

For example it would not be out of character for a hobbit running around Bree to be wide eyed and amazed by the "enormity" of it all and ask someone where they could find second breakfast.

The other night I had a wonderful impromptu RP experience simply by standing and watching some musicians outside an inn playing. My little hobbit clapped and danced and cheered their performance and then bought them a round of ale. Which led to a short but fun few minute of RP conversation.

Start small. Get in the habit of being in character mos of the time. Engage folks in small ways. If you get stuck or make a mistake just say so with (()) around it to denote you are speaking out of character. Most are more than happy to help out.

This is very good advice, so I'm just gonna point and nod.

Then add one little thing, that there is RP happening on other servers as well, so if you do not happen to be on Landy or Laurelin, ask in the chat or server forum for any events. I know Crickhollow has some, and we are trying to get some going in my kin on Gladden as well.

My point being, it doesn't have to be elaborate RP to start. Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the fun.

Thank you all for your replies and help!

I purposely made an alt on Landroval so I could check out the Rping as I like to do light RP.

What I've found is depending on the situation, you don't really have to have an extensive LoTR background. I've walked into a couple of women talking about their flower gardens. A group sitting down having tea and pastries and one that I thought was great - a group of 3 just following one of the NPC watchers back and forth on his rounds, all the while making random chat: "I hope this guy knows where he's going", "No, No I said take us to the xxxxx" etc....

All forms of RP that don't take in the bigger world view. Just visit the Prancing Pony in Bree and watch and listen. You'll soon find something your comfortable with.

To the all above i would only add, that getting either "Lord of the rings" or "The Hobbit" books in your local library would be a good boon for Your Roleplay activities, and really appreciated by many lore-wise people you will meet on servers. Besides good read, you would then pick up thousands of nyances you could then seek out in-game, like the bird's nest perched behind troll-turned-stone ear in Trollshaws, why there is the 'G' rune scrapped at the side of rock on top of Weatherstock, why the Buckleberry ferry is not working etc etc

Originally Posted by AidanNix

... I've played around some with role play in WoW and didn't find it very fun there. I could wonder around and suddenly step into the world of ghost busters or people pretending to be ponies. Is Lord of the rings like that?
...
Also, are there any good realms for RP that aren't going to be like Moonguard? Thanks

There's nothing stopping random Players from doing such things, but Lotro doesn't invite that the way that a more wide-open background might. Tolkien's world is not one of big, widespread magic, so most of the RP consists of "common folk engaging in common pursuits". Sometimes The Enemy might enter into the mix, but usually not more than as a disturbing sidebar in some other conversation/activity.

There are 2 dedicated RP servers: Landroval EnRE (English, Roleplay Encouraged - which sounds like what you're looking for) and Laurenlin EnRP, where RP is expected (most) all the time. (I've seen the occasional G4mr Bo1z on Landroval, but they don't seem to last long - the community is not their speed, and they find more like minds elsewhere. I think they'd get ostracized pretty aggressively on Landroval.)

First of all welcome to Middle-earth

If you know nothing about LotR, then it would be a good idea, to at least watch the movies, sure they arent perfect in terms of staying 100% true to the lore but you will get a much better idea of what is going on in this story and you will understand more about the world and its people

Also, as the other poster has said, if you want and have some time, get the books, now thats not a must as you can learn a lot about the lore by playing the game and from some websites but it will give you even a greater understanding

Now, as for a server, if you want a much more immersive and more true to the lore experience then i highly suggest to at the very least try Laurelin RP which is the only official English Roleplay Server by the way

From what i have seen so far here, the community welcomes new folks to the lore too as long as they wish to learn
Take a look at Laurelin Archives a great source about the RP on the server and you can learn and see about the people, RP Events and Kins, backstories and more

If you join Laurelin, drop me a tell in-game or post your char's name here if you have any questions about the lore or RP. There is also a small community here of Tolkien fans and roleplayers that discuss anything about the lore and RP and i think you could learn a lot that way

Safe travels!

Edit: as a reply to a comment that the above poster did.. its |not| expected that everyone roleplays, a lot of people are not rpers but join for the immersion and a much more mature community. It is the official RP server, but you dont have to RP all the time of course and none is going to tell you anything about it

Originally Posted by ''Cris'''

First of all welcome to Middle-earth

If you know nothing about LotR, then it would be a good idea, to at least watch the movies, sure they arent perfect in terms of staying 100% true to the lore but you will get a much better idea of what is going on in this story and you will understand more about the world and its people

Also, as the other poster has said, if you want and have some time, get the books, now thats not a must as you can learn a lot about the lore by playing the game and from some websites but it will give you even a greater understanding

Now, as for a server, if you want a much more immersive and more true to the lore experience then i highly suggest to at the very least try Laurelin RP which is the only official English Roleplay Server by the way

From what i have seen so far here, the community welcomes new folks to the lore too as long as they wish to learn
Take a look at Laurelin Archives a great source about the RP on the server and you can learn and see about the people, RP Events and Kins, backstories and more

If you join Laurelin, drop me a tell in-game or post your char's name here if you have any questions about the lore or RP. There is also a small community here of Tolkien fans and roleplayers that discuss anything about the lore and RP and i think you could learn a lot that way

Safe travels!

Edit: as a reply to a comment that the above poster did.. its |not| expected that everyone roleplays, a lot of people are not rpers but join for the immersion and a much more mature community. It is the official RP server, but you dont have to RP all the time of course and none is going to tell you anything about it

I wanted to add my main character is on Laurelin and what is said above is absolutely true. I do not RP ALL the time. ALso I find if I let someone know in (( )) which means Out of Character that I am new they are very supportive of my sometimes bumbling attempts at RP. I really love this server for the people and immersion.

Originally Posted by ''Cris'''

If you join Laurelin, drop me a tell in-game or post your char's name here if you have any questions about the lore or RP.

I am Figar, a Minstrel hobbit on the Laurelin realm