Ok, we all know that a very effective method of RP involves treating the NPCs as real people when dealing with them (if you didn't know, now you do ). However, I have to ask; how DO you effectivly RP with something that offers only stock answers and actions to you every time? While it's true that the Divine have a thing for jumping into a denizen and chatting it up with you, what about those times when that just doesn't happen?

Is it best to RP the denizen's actions towards you?

Cwin says: Does this ruby go with my outfit?

'emote' Cwin poses in her dress in front of Ujana, who shakes her head and states that it's uglier than the rockeater it came from.

Cwin conjures a FF7 meteor at Shanthmark for their insulting behaviour*

..or to just take the silence as them ignoring you..

Cwin says: Does this ruby go with my outfit?

Cwin poses in front of Ujana

(silence)

Cwin says: Well then, if you think it's THAT ugly why don't you tell it to my face!

(more silence)

Cwin says: HOW DARE YOU!

Cwin conjures a FF7 meteor at Shanthmark for ignoring her*

...or consider the conversation done 'offscreen', not playing it out in game but assuming it was done at some point when talking to others.

Random person says: Didn't you just link with Mother earlier, Cwin? Why are you out of power?

Cwin says: I got into an argument with Ujana earlier and turned all of Shanthmark into a huge crater*. It was for the best. They WHERE following the Taint after all.


Or some other method? What do you guys think works best?

* = No, I don't plan on evoking FF7 style meteors: it's OOC...at least until the Divine listen to me and give me that power.

I think the point is that you aren't supposed to be trying to RP with denizens most of the time, as they are, well, denizens. RPing is what other players are for.

Rarely did I RP with mobs, since it looks kinda silly... unless there is someone else watching. In that case, knowing what the denizen's reaction will be, I could say something smart or funny.
Like comments after giving Glugnus some spinnerets. Glugnus is the man - drinking booze with one hand, sewing with the other.

I do it offscreen. It's clean, enhances immersion to a point because it makes mobs be part of the world without the un-immersive awkwardness of attempted conversation.

I had an arguement with Trader Bob once. He insulted me in front of people. I ended up getting rolepoints deducted for singing the sailor song to him from B&W

I think a good rule of thumb is, don't treat NPCs like cardboard dummies or xp/gold vending machines. Use common sense- excessive dialogue/emotes that NPCs cannot react can be jarring to observers.

If you really need to talk with a specific denizen and want a Divine to inhabit said denizen, the best way would probably be to SAY TO "Stuff." Granted, a Divine will only respond if one feels like it, and if you spam stuff they'll get angry, so use it sparingly.

I randomly will say something, nod at a mob, shift my eyes at my morphling. I act the way my character would if he were real, but to a much lesser degree if people aren't watching.

When the Isune event started, I went up to Her Fulcrux and greeted Volucer a few times, only to keep getting the same generic 'argh' replies as usual. So I went back to the Cave, then came back up to the Fulcrux a little while later (kind of frustrated at the time cause there was -nothing- happening) and greeted Volucer a few more times, and after a minute with no answer, I just walked out, but he sent me a tell after that, and look where that ended

intervention

I speak to NPC's and shrines all the time, never had one speak back though.