This site is sponsored by CharacterPlanet.com, the premiere social network for gamers.

Welcome to RolePlayingCharacter.com. We will give you the general idea behind RolePlaying (RPing) as well as helping you decide what kind of character to roleplay and ways to enjoy it. I myself have played mostly every race/class combination from a myriad of games; like you I have enjoyed being a crafter, a pker, a healer, a tank, a mage, as well as the other hybrid templates. Well, let's get started shall we?

First you should ask yourself what type of game you would like to play. Are you more into fantasy games, player vs. player games, Player vs. Enemy (PvE), or are you interested in Sci-Fi, or perhaps a super hero game? I'm assuming you know what game you prefer so we will continue to your next development stage.

Do you want to play a character that is feared or one that is cute and adorable? Or perhaps something in between. The beauty of Online Gaming is the ability to create your own persona, and exaggerate their characteristics. Decide if you want to be the dark evil Troll Warlock, or the friendly Dwarf Healer. Perhaps you can choose a neutral class such as human if you don't want to dive head first into RPing just yet. Game Characters are allowing more customization than ever; it is important for you to take the time and choose the head/body/hair you want to portray. Even little things such as a scar or different colored eyes can make a dramatic difference in the way your perceived.

Now that you made your new character with that special skin color and scar you like ;) your going to have to play the role, literally. When I use to play as an Ogre Shaman in Everquest I began to type in "me bash hummies"....translation "I'm on a RP race vs race server and I'm killing humans". It can get out of hand, and I started talking like that in real life so don't get too silly! Utilize an out of character text option such as /OOC to avoid being burnt out by constant RPing. If you find yourself wanting to get out of character and whine when another race/faction/etc has killed you, utilize this text so as not to lose your characters credibility. The best players were the ones that stay even tempered and never broke character. Just remember to bash da hummies next time.

So we know what game you want to play; I'm assuming fantasy...we know what race you want to play, I'll use human as an example. And your character is now personalized, but you now have to choose their path, or profession. Some games pigeon hole you into professions while others don't. Heres a good list of some basic templates. Take a look to decide what best fits your newly made character.

The Wizard

The Wizard is a character that likes to avoid melee (direct contact) with their enemies; they are rather masters of what players refer to as "nuking" which basically is doing a LOT of damage whether to one opponent or to a group. Wizards usually lack in strength, self defense, weapon wielding, and no pets/companion. The Wizard is for players that like killing from afar. Grab a bag of chips, relax and nuke your enemies into submission. Intellectual players are often Wizards as they have to use brain/magic over brawn.

The Tank

The Tank is your basic character and can deal damage to opponents through melee as well as take enormous amounts of damge from enemies. Tanks usually aren't the primary damage dealers but keep the bad guys from hitting their supporting characters such as The Wizard or The Healer. Players who play Tanks generally like to play big strong characters that are equipped with a shield and weapon, and sometimes a large two handed weapon.

The Healer

The Healer is usually the most loved and most important member of the group. The Healer has a huge responsiblity...it is their job to make sure no one dies in the group and to priortize who gets heals and when. Healers are generally friendlier, earthy-like characters, with great supporting skills, but not much of a soloer. Healers are usually played by friendly, unselfish, decisive, team-oriented gamers. You have much responsiblity, and not much glory, but your team will let you know how important you are.

The Player Killer

Player Killing is part of games, and it certainly helps re-enforce RPing despite what some say. The Player Killer is usually one that is allied with a certain faction, guild, or race, and is sworn to eliminate opposing factions. The Player Killer is extremely skilled, takes great pride in his/her allegiance, and takes no prisoners. Player Killers are usually played by individuals that have a firm grasp on the game they are playing; they have taken the game mechanics to a new level and test their skills against others who have done the same. Of course their will always be that ELITE person who kills you repeatedly, but both players know the true fun is in the hunt and the challenge.

The Crafter

The Crafter is a master of all trades. The Crafter enjoys making things such as furniture, rare weapons/armor, accessories, and just about anything else custom made. Crafters tend to enjoy talking with other crafters, and selling their wares to needy warriors. The Crafters are a huge part of any game economy and are usually very influential. They are like a Congressman that can make you a set of armor. Don't get on their bad side ;). Crafters are typically played by individuals that like achieving, creating things, and striving for something better.

The PvEr / Guild Raider

The PvEr / Guild Raider is all about advancing through the game. Usually they will form up with other like-minded individuals to form a guild that will go on massive raids to take down tough enemies. The PvEr/Guild Raider is really a mindset and isn't necessarily with just one template type. Instead, leaders, business managers, and organizers are usually drawn to these roles to run their group of gamers as efficiently as possible on their quest for fame and advancement.

The Pet Class/Supporter

The Pet Class is a class that gets the ability to summon pets to do their bidding. Classes like Necromancer and Druid from Everquest could summon a skeletal companion, or a wolf respectively. In Ultima Online high level mages could summon daemons. These classes are a lot of fun and allow people to get creative with different strategies/plans of attack. If you don't like to take hits and want to play field general, send your pet to take the hits while you formulate a strategy. Not to mention the aspect of player vs player; not the funnest when your on the receiving end of a tamed Dragon chasing you down. These roles are usually played by creative, field management thinkers.

The Hybrid

The ultimate class of characters is the Hybrid. Once someone fully understands a game they can take their character and gameplay to a new level after some in-depth thinking on potential skills and attributes as well as equipment, both weapons and armor. Not all hybrid characters turn out well, in fact most turn out to be downright disasters, but the ones that do turn out well, echo in game eternity. Hybrid characters are usually played by those that have a firm grasp on the game and are seeking advancement from within. They are usually self-driven and of an entreprenurial spirit; they are risk takers and don't take the path most traveled.

Now thier are other types of characters but most fall into these categories one way or another. If you are new to RPing but know you want to play an Online Game, check out Gaming Community. I suggest asking the community for suggestions, as well as trying out a free game to get your feet wet. Choose your Pixel Destiny.