Role

Role-playing refers to the changing of one's behaviour to assume a role, either unconsciously to fill a social role, or consciously to act out an adopted role. While the Oxford EnglishDictionary offers a definition of role-playing as "the changing of one's behaviour to fulfill a social role",[1] in the field of psychology, the term is used more loosely in four senses:
* To refer to theplaying of roles generally such as in a theatre, or educational setting;
* To refer to taking a role of an existing character or person and acting it out with a partner taking someone else's role, ofteninvolving different genres of practice;
* To refer to a wide range of games including role-playing video game, play-by-mail games and more;
* To refer specifically to role-playing games.[2]\Role-playing may also refer to role training where people rehearse situations in preparation for a future performance and to improve their abilities within a role. The most common examples areoccupational training role-plays, educational role-play exercises, and certain military wargames.

What exactly is Role-Playing? |
Think of roleplaying like improvisation - it may be pretending to besomething or someone you aren't normally, or a version of yourself. Many people think that roleplaying is limited to scary dungeons and big fire breathing dragons, or even themother/father/son/daughter roleplaying in a psychiatrist’s offices, but true roleplaying can incorporate anything from futuristic science fiction robots to blonde bimbos with big guns (and I do mean machine guns). Roleplayingis about experiencing new people, places, thoughts, and ways of thinking that you may not normally encounter. |
How do I start? |
First, think of a situation that you would find either fun orchallenging, preferably both, and put yourself into that situation. How would you react? Congradulations, you've just experienced a small part of roleplaying. Now, grab some willing or unwilling...