Five Cool RP Ideas - Gatherings

Getting role-players together can be difficult, even on a RP server. Each server/faction has it’s own “style” and gathering places - some need “life” breathed into them with role-playing events. While this can be a good way to find role-playing, someone has to get things in gear and get people interested.

These types of events can work on your server or realm and in almost any game. The possible rewards are great nights of fun and role-playing. They can be yearly or weekly events, as schedules allow. Here are five ideas to spark gatherings and such to meet and interact.

1) Story Nights
Think about old campfire stories told around the fire. This is a great vehicle to get RPers (and Non-RPers too!) interested in role-playing. Bring stories, songs, poems and some good RP - you can have the seeds for a good evening. Offshoots include discussion nights on magic, religions, lore and rping city politics - done all IC and with the golden rule in mind.

2) Socials, Celebrations and Balls
Think about old-style dance balls or social parties. They can arrange from formal for forsaken or Humans, to more primal for Orcs, Tauren and Trolls, even a horde version or a headbangers ball. Scout out a good area and see what can be thrown together. Create or use ingame events, holidays and work with the lore and game history to see what may be cool to do.

3) War Parties
This is more for the PvP-minded people, but can also be a gathering/rallying point for a raid or quest start. Rally in Spirit and unleash your wraith on the enemy afterward.

4) Marketplaces/Craft Bazaars
Gather a few crafting people together and form a Marketplace on certain days at certain times. Vendors RP and sell/haggle goods with other players. Not only does this provide a interactive trade district, it also provides goods to players and promotes good RP. Offshoots could focus on running an in-game tavern or storefront with a few smaller vendors. Even a traveling group /caravan of merchants that set up near a town could be a good idea.

5) Religious Services
Have spiritual gatherings for the Earthmother or services for the Light? Why not? It’s a venue to get people together with a theme and perhaps a message or dash of racial culture. For instance, a ceremony honoring the Earthmother for the Tauren. This could have a minor them regarding to keeping the land free of disease and cleaning dying lands. (Yes, 99% of Tauren are “green” *grin* ) Use your imagination, throw in some culture and imagination and you can have a very cool moment for both Non-RPers and RPers. Lore is your friend here.

The main things are:
Have a good idea of what you want to do.
Make sure no one is doing the same thing and causes a conflict.
Research and plan with some flexibility.
To prepare well in advance.
Prepare content, event materials and ideas.
Get people interested and gather support.
Have a backup plan if you are delayed or cannot attend.
Find a good time on your server to have an event.
Think about how people will be traveling to the event.
(Level 10’s in Outlands can have a hard time.)
Promote the event in General and on your realm’s forum.
Promote good RP before, during and after the event.
Set a good example, not a bad one.
Stay IC and be flexible.
Work around/with new RPers and Non-RPers trying to fit in.
Gather support from other RP guilds and RPers you know.
Do not be discouraged if the first night bombs. Try, try again.
Be cool and do your best. It’s better to try than not.

Plan for/expect the following, just in case:
Party crashers from the other faction.
Non-RP griefers.
Reschedule for server crashes or if no one shows.
Note: Let people know.
A smaller version to start if support is not available.

Some of these ideas have worked quite well on my server. Good luck if you decide to try these, I hope they work out great for you.

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