>Roles are optional, and always have been. They're a useful
>tool, but in the final analysis we don't reward/penalize
>people based on their role, but rather on how they roleplay.
>I've seen awful characters with fine roles, and great
>characters with no role at all.
>

I understand that there is a huge huge difference between a role and actually roleplaying. But without a role there is no continuity with a character. You can easily switch things up without being penalized or without anyone knowing the difference.

Let me give you an example

A few years ago there was a bard in scion who was secretly working for the villagers. Hey ok fine you wanna destroy the chasm secretly from the inside in the name of the village. Lets say no imm ever "snoops" this character when he deals with the village but the same imm happens to "snoop" when he is roleplaying like a legend for the glory of the scions This never happend with said bard but wouldn't every imm with their omnipetent powers know the deceptions and even MINOR background of every char?

The thing is a person with a role has even the smallest of restrictions put on them. And if they change something they do drastically then an imm will know. A person without a role can easily switch gears and no one will be the wiser, especially if they were flying under the "imm radar" at crucial times in their characters life.

You said chars are rewarded by roleplay and not their role.

But as far as not being penalized is concerned I cannot totally buy that. Even if you are not penalized as a char ie stripped of skills/spells/ etc you will be penalized in the ooc mind of the imm to a certain degree.

Example:

As good ole Neppy said earlier on in this thread he hated seeing stagnant roles. Meaning he would check someones role early on in their life and it was all about killing mages yadda yadda yadda. And then when he would check it 30 ranks later and said char was gangbangin ragers alongside mages he would get kinda peeved.

So basically what I have gathered from this thread so far...

Roles are a helpful tool but not required and you can gain quest skills/leadership/tatts etc without having one.

If you have a role you must update it as major things happen or it might kinda tick off an imm up in Asgaard.

I hope you can see my confusion and frustration.