I’ve noticed quite a reliance on realism when criticising or praising both factions and members. Whilst an argument could be made for realism’s importance in roleplaying on a SA:MP server, there seems to be a confusion about two things. What this ‘reality’ is, and that it needs to be a central focus regarding ‘good’ roleplay. Simulating reality is a futile task for many reasons in SA:MP roleplay, which is where this guide comes in.
This isn’t an assault on anyone who values realism. Like I said, it certainly has a place, just not as much of a place as it is occasionally given. This is just some food for thought in hope that I turn a couple heads who don’t value certain players or factions because they’re not realistic enough or those who view realism as central to their roleplay.
What is Realism?
A mutual understanding of realism can be attributed to a simple dictionary definition: ‘the quality or fact of representing a person or thing in a way that is accurate and true to life.’ So, in layman’s terms and in relation to BARP, realism is representing a character or faction in a way that resembles or simulates real life.
So, I make John, and John’s an aspiring member of La Cosa Nostra. After a month of playing I am associated and within the next two months I am invited into the family. I play 0-2 hours a day and for those couple of hours I am constantly involved in mafia activity and when participating, I ensure that such activities are performed as realistically as possible to achieve some sense of authenticity and credibility. However, already, there are some problems if I consider myself a player who values realism highly.
What is John doing for the rest of his day? Would an actual mobster engage in mafia activities 5-7 days of the week? The actual process of being invited into a family is one that lingers over many years, why is it different for John? John was twenty-two when I made him, how old is he now? Does that conform to ages we see in actual mob rankings?
Immediately, there are issues surrounding realism with a character you’ve created. Where is the line drawn with realism? Surely to obtain as much of a realist factor as possible is the goal, right? Wrong. It’s as simple as this: you will never simulate reality, because roleplay was never meant to. Everything that is great about roleplay is the fact that you are engaging and immersing yourself in a perceived reality, rather than reality itself. It’s fine to time skip a year for every month, or age-skipping so that your character is more credible in his position, for example.
Perceived Reality?
A perception of reality. Every faction, and player, has one, whether it is like yours or not. It varies, from the type of criminal organisation or to the preferences of the player. And it is all factored in by the fact that you are on a roleplay server, limited to those couple of hours a day and the circle of players you interact with. What’s the point of enveloping yourself in this dream to simulate reality when this is not only a game, but when its purpose wasn’t to simulate reality in the first place? It doesn’t make sense.
Think of it like this. Instead of your character being a living, breathing individual, think of them as a character and you, the actor. Is film meant to simulate reality? Rarely. Instead it is a perception of reality taken from the perspective of the director, of the actors, of the characters. It makes sense if you think about it, if you play two hours a day, that’s only a twelfth of your character’s day. You are only playing out moments of a character’s life, not their life itself. The reality you’ve chosen is within those two hours.
This confusion ultimately leads to a lack of enjoyment from the server and a paranoia of your character's death, blurring the line between out-of-character and in-character thoughts and perceptions. It begs the question: why are you paranoid? Shouldn't your character be? You don't need to get attached to them like they're a prized possession and get upset if they die. Disappointed, perhaps. You should simply enjoy portraying them and if their death comes, at least you'll know that you portrayed them to the best of your ability. I guarantee others will notice this too.
Summary
You don’t need to make realism a central focus of your roleplay. It shouldn’t be. Realism should come to you because of great character development. You achieve realism through raw, authentic characters; not because of the accuracy of your gang-sign or the fact that you know the codes of the Omerta forwards and backwards. You don’t need to recreate a living individual in real life. That’s not what people are looking for, that’s not what’s entertaining. What’s entertaining are interesting characters that you wouldn’t find outside of your house.
It’s funny, because I’ve seen a lot of people posting: “I’ve watched the Sopranos and the Godfather. Can I join?” When the Sopranos will teach you more about, not necessarily accurate, but entertaining and beautifully written portrayals of the mob. If you can maintain a character that could hold themselves in a crime drama, you are doing something right, not something wrong.
Credits: Turtleneck.