I. Roleplaying: Development
Where or when did roleplay develop? Some might tell you it all began with “Dungeons & Dragons” or some other similar traditional RPG. However, long before that, people roleplayed as children. Surely, you’ve heard of children “playing house” or perhaps playing a game of “Cops & Robbers” or “Cowboys & Indians”. Long before we knew what roleplay was, we were doing it.
We’ve also developed some roleplaying skill through video games, starting way back in the day with games like Super Mario Brothers. We weren’t *actually* a plump Italian plumber, who went to the Mushroom Kingdom to save the Princess. We merely portrayed him through our game choices. Jump up or go down the pipe? Get the Flower Power or keep on trucking for more coins? They were basic decisions, but still the very beginnings of roleplay.
As video games developed, they began producing roleplay titles like “Hillsfar” and “Curse of the Azure Bonds”, these followed the early ruleset of Dungeons & Dragons. You got to create a character, name them, then play in the world as that character.
Now, in the new millenia, there are dozens upon dozens of RPG titles for you to delve into, in a variety of different worlds. Yet, regardless of a video game being a RPG or not, whatever game you choose, you’re still roleplaying, believe it or not. When you play Grand Theft Auto, you’re playing the role of a car thief. You wouldn’t *actually* go out and steal a car, would you? It’s just a role you take on for the sake of the game, so you can immerse yourself in that game world.
Roleplay, at its heart, is really no different. And if you think about it long enough, you’ll discover more ways you roleplay every day than you ever thought possible. If you take that perspective, it really becomes less of a foreign concept.
II. Roleplaying as Young Teen/Adolescent
A young child or developing teen should always role-play with correct guidance and with a group of mature, well-grounded adults. The worlds of role-play are fraught with hazards and critical decisions that might not be suitable for a younger audience without proper supervision. Mature adults also serve as a sort of “grounding rod” so that youngsters don’t get caught up in the illusion and start blending Fantasy with Reality.
However, this is not to say that teens or children are incapable of role-play; they oftentimes do it with more sincerity than their more mature counterparts. They aren’t afraid to take on a role and run with it because their imaginations are fertile ground for laying the seeds of creativity.
Like any activity, however, they should be properly supervised and instructed on how to conduct themselves.
III. Roleplaying as an Adult
Not just an adult, really, but as a mature individual who is capable of making potentially critical decisions for a fictional character. These decisions can involve the relationships of your character, or even your character’s death. It means understanding the meaning of sacrifice; that sometimes your character must suffer so that others can prevail. It also means you acknowledge being part of a greater design, that the game isn’t solely about your character, but *all* the characters involved.
As an adult, you can take on deeper, more complex storylines that delve into the inner recesses of your character’s psyche. As you continue through your campaigns, you really begin to see your character take shape as an individual. It’s very akin to a potter molding a beautiful, complex vase out of simple clay. The process is enchanting, almost magical. However, even adults can oftentimes succumb to the pitfall of becoming too engrossed in their fictional world.
This is why it is very important to take regular breaks, stop for a while and talk about every day mundane things like sports, the weather, books. Anything to break the mental cycle that ties the Player to the Character; to keep that very distinct separation.