Something that struck me last night at our regularly scheduled Clinic in the Crossroads was the number of new people that showed up. These weren’t alts of regular attendees, but rather folks that were intrigued about RP and sat there and watched, as if we were putting on a play of some sort. I’ve advocated sitting and watching in the past if you’re new to RP and want to see what things are about and how they operate. This is not an uncommon behavior.

But what do you do when you want to join in? How do you do it without trying to muscle in on someone else’s conversation? It’s rude in real life. Doesn’t it stand to reason it would be rude in game as well? The answer is simple: Yes…and no.

If two people are engaged in conversation that would otherwise appear private, you wouldn’t necessarily want to interrupt them. (It can be argued, of course, that if their conversation was truly meant to be private, it would be taken to whispers. But sometimes RP doesn’t work that way.)

If there’s a group of people and they’re discussing something random, it might be fine to butt in. Say, for example, they’re discussing the events of Wrathgate. You might want to mention that you were there as well, kicking Scourge in the rear with Bolvar or Saurfang Jr. but that you were able to escape by the skin of your teeth.

As someone who plays on several different RP servers (there’s a lot more than what you see of my armory profile to the right, folks), it behooves me to find the RP hotspots. If I see people RPing and want to participate, I’ll frequently use emotes. Take, for example, the first time I found RP on Feathermoon. I entered the Pig & Whistle Tavern in Stormwind to find a large gathering of people who I hadn’t met ICly or OOCly. It was clear that they had created a setting that had a history there and I obviously didn’t want to disrupt it. Instead, I strolled over to the bar and began chatting with the NPC barkeep and waitress, ordering drinks and sipping my Pinot Noir while leaning against the bar. It didn’t take long until someone noticed a newcomer and began RPing with me.

Sometimes, it works that easily. Other times, you might have to be the one to broach a conversation with someone. If people are involved in conversations and you arrive late to the party, don’t be discouraged if someone doesn’t come up to you right away and start talking. Rather, walk around from group to group. See if there’s some place you might be able to jump in and begin your life as an RPer.

If you’re shy in real life, this might be a great way to break the mold and allow that bubbly, outgoing person that’s been hiding inside of you to come out. Be brash. Be bold. Be what you always watned to be but were always to shy to attain. Our characters can and should be an extension of ourselves, with modifications where we choose them. My rogue shares all my rage, he just chooses to use it to actually kill people. My warlock and I are both fairly easy-going, easily confused by that which we don’t understand, but are willing to learn different cultures through immersion.

Unless you’re attempting to RP a shy, quiet character, there’s no reason you should be afraid to approach random RPers. Let your creative mind flow and be embraced in the welcoming arms of roleplayers around you.