Guild titles in Roleplay

We’ve all done it. You see a character come across the screen and you mouse over them to see what guild they are and what title. While you can’t rp’ly act on what you see it helps to know what and who you are dealing with going into any possible confrontations or discussions. You can’t immediately shun them if you’ve never met in game and you can’t run up and spread the love with hugs galore either unless the same has occurred. The guild signature and titles simply allow for a group association. An example of where this is necessary is in an rp/pvp situation where a res kill and/or looting takes place. (For those who aren’t aware, which means you live under a rock in Ultima: Res kill is just that. It’s where you are revived long enough for your opponent to kill you once more. This is a no no in an rp/pvp confrontation. And looting, is obvious but again it is also a no no in an rp/pvp situation.)

So you are at the spot where you mouse over an oncoming pixel person and you see the guild signature [+A+]. This, on the Atlantic Circuit, is the symbol for Ashencrosse. What follows ranges from logical to hysterically funny and gives each guild the chance to express themselves. This is a great way to let outsiders know just a little bit about the characters they are dealing with in an rp environment. For example: Cezanne Abella, (A friend) who is a member of Ashencrosse has the title of Spirit of the Wild. This sums up quite a bit about this particular character in a few minor words. She’s breezy, sweet and leaves a feather touch you tend to remember. Rowan ab’Arawn of Stonegate has the title of Chaotic Princess. That in a nutshell sums up exactly what you’re going to get out of her attitude. Privledged, random and haughty.

Guild titles can demonstrate rank, sphere of influence or even racial qualities. House of Draven for example denotes their inner stations in their guild titles. Members of Baja Roleplaying Alliance cover the gambit from titles of what station to what race. One of the best things, in my opinion, about BRPA is the freedom of title choice. It is both inviting and unique.

The point being that this is a small tool with endless possibilities in the role playing community. Tiny details like this can enhance the interaction. Even EM’s and the wonderful Mesanna are subject to titles we use. They just may not know about them.