Do You Love Writing?
If you do then you will love Text Based Role-Playing Games that allow you to write your own adventure. Although, I’m saying “write”, in this case its really ‘typing’. These days fantasy role-play stories are all done online via your keyboard / mobile interface.
Some people refer to this style of online storytelling as “collaborative writing”. It’s not all writing, its more than that because you bring your imagination into play in an interactive game. When you you describe a Character using words you can create a gigantic muscular hero or a slender sly thief. Words are very powerful and one word can say more to your mind than a graphic or even a movie clip.
Say What? Imagination?
If you don’t know what we’re talking about yet then read on. Imagine a fantasy novel where you are the heroic warrior but instead of reading what happens to the warrior you decide what the warrior does, says and who he fights. This is role-playing: bring your imagination into a text format for everyone to read. Essentially, instead of just reading the story – your character becomes the story and you decide what steps your character needs to take in order to shift the world he is ‘in’. This can be done solo or with other writers also referring to them to as “players”.
If you are part of a group then the person who defines the world or environment has the title of “Dungeon Master” or “DM” for short. Other systems may call this role “Game Master” or “GM” for short. The person who role-play’s the character in the DM’s world has the “Player” designation. A typical RPG can have 1 DM and 3-8 Players. The method of role-playing is through writing.
What You Need In Text Based RPGs?
Imaginative role play, depending on which game you are in, also involves: personal achievement, membership status, activity, rolling dice (luck), statistics and logic. There are also some visual resources in creating your own adventure in systems. Creating your own story games like Ruler of Kings II make this obvious right away. Options such as selecting avatars, body type, symbols and familiars are all part of character building. Each time you add to a game these things are looked over and displayed! In our RPG Community we use custom, D&D, Pathfinder, Call of Cthulhu, Traveller and many other systems to bring about active gaming where character / world building is essential.
Is It All Medieval Fantasy?
A lot of Players tend to gravitate towards a fantasy Medieval setting but there are others. Horror, Drama and Science Fiction themes are available for you to create an adventure. In our Community, you can play / write anonymously, we don’t ask for your real name and phone number like some social media.
This is very interesting. I remember playing these on my old IBM many years ago. I’m surprised there is still a following for it. I’m going to check it out now.