For me, it was very helpful to listen and learn by observing others (the group I was with was more experienced than me). Also, it helps to think of role playing as free form acting. There's no script, but you have a backstory, personality and goals for your character— who isn't you.
Remember to keep the distinction. It's fine to make a character you like and think is cool, but he or she isn't you. They won't necessarily react to something like you would. What I'm trying to say is that fun role play has you looking at the world through someone else's eyes and interacting with other characters and NPCs based on your character's personality and goals.
Don't worry about being a Shakesperian actor, it's all about having fun and working with others to build a fun story. So react to what the others in the group are doing, whether it's to help their goals along— or even oppose them! For example, if you're playing a Might Makes Right type, you'd probably disagree with the party healer wasting their time on healing bystanders from your last glorious battle.
So don't be afraid to disagree with other players if you feel your character would. Or if you think a plan won't work. Intra-party conflict and cooperation is at the heart of a lot of RPG's, and depending on the game it may even be the entire point.
For more specific advice it'd help to know what game and medium you're role playing through. Is it an in-person game, online via play-by-post, online with text, online with audio/video?
A lot of your roleplaying will depend on the medium. In a play-by-post game you do actually write a short story (what your character does). In an in-person game you just speak as your character and describe what he or she does. With text and chat, it varies.
edited 4th Sep '13 5:59:44 PM by Earnest
My answer is that it really depends on what you want: do you want a mechanics-heavy game where you strategise and solve problems, or do you want a narrative-focused game where you want to see what happens to your characters? The former is kind of like war-gaming where the narrative is just there to justify the combat/conflict, whereas the latter is more collaborative storytelling.
In a nutshell though, usually a game involves a GM + a group of players. Players play characters (known as player characters or P Cs)and the GM narrates the setting and other characters in the setting (known as non-playable characters or NP Cs). Any further description would depend on what you think role-playing should be and is worth an essay.
My advice is: try everything. Play with different systems with friends. I got into role-playing because of friends playing them. That way you can find what you like and what you think role-playing should be.
What's a GPS
Thank you, everyone! You've really helped. I think I will get together everyone soon and see if we can't have a good session. Thank you again!
I've seen some newbie help on this forum, but it's all assumed that you actually know what to do during roleplaying. I want to start roleplaying, but I have no idea how to do it, in any role or situation. Do you sit down and narrate it like a story? Just say dialogue? Is it like collaborative story writing, or something else entirely? I'm not looking for certain game's rules - just a general guide to roleplaying for someone who's utterly clueless about it. Thank you!