I've played CF for a long time, I remeber when Eastern road was 6 rooms long. I'm not quite second age, but very near the start of the third age.

I didn't come from from a D&D board game background, infact my very very first character was a thief called 'Smite'. I was politely explained to by an immortal that 'Smite' wasn't suitable, despite my protests that I was a 'low down thief scum hense the name!', and I was politely pointed to some rules. Yes, they enforced name standards even then! But I didnt care, because I had got to the heady heights of a lvl 2 thief! Cabdru can only imagine such badass.

After that I played about 20 MorsGothas, MolMonthas, MonGolthas, and various other Drow Aps in various undisguised copies, because in my Naivety (I cant be bothered to find out how to spell Naivety), I thought was a deathful drow killer of legend.

My first real character was Gothan, a goodie uncaballed felar polearm/hand spec, who got to lvl 40! I remember raiding empire helping Abernytes battle ragers, and also Marcus's kick ass felar warrior battle rager who I forget the name off. I remember some of the ragers asking me to go stun Challen's invoker in New Thalos (now Hamsah), who later went on to help found Dawn. Of course I didn't, because naive as I was I knew that Challen would eat me for breakfast.

Over the years of course I learned, but my play style has more or less been the same. I started to have heroes, even some (semi) leadership positions (such as captain of the village) and with each hero I got better and better at fighting.

Enough of the rambling, to the point. My roleplay has always been the same, although increasing at the same rate as my PK skill. When I first started I would make excuses in my roleplay to attack people, whilst now I wont do so, everyone I attack is perfectly in my roleplay (though I make mistakes at times, such as breaking Imperial Law when my role doesn't allow me to do that).

I even write a role, and adhere to it, but I am never ever going to be the next < insert really really good roleplayer here >. My CF play is always about the next fight, not about the next roleplay oppotunity.

I think what I really want to know is, is that a bad thing? Should someone like me ever be empowered or tattoed? I know I rambled a bit about my past CF-life, but I felt I needed to to hi-light how I play and feel about the game. I would like to hear, from imms and players alike, their thoughts about the matter.

MorsGotha, War Lord of the Red Titan.

Speaking as a heavy-roleplay immortal, I don't see anything wrong with the playstyle you describe. You basically describe the inverse of my own playstyle.

Even though I have a roleplay-heavy style, MUSHes, (100% roleplay games) bore the bejesus out of me. (And I've tried them) The element of having enemies where conflict and loss have mechanics make the game exciting for me. Not knowing if someone is going to stab me in the back or not, makes it a good game. And I find the PK aspect fun to participate in, and I try my best within the confines of my role, even though it always takes a back seat to roleplaying for me.

Similarly I like to think that players with the playing style you describe feel the game is enhanced by roleplaying and by the more roleplay-heavy characters. That a game like Quake lacks drama and richness.. that you like your PK accomplishments to be in the context where if you're good enough, some bard-RP-type character will write a clever epic poem about your exploits - where you can get to a point people bow to you and call you "Warlord", and all that rot.

And absolutely, a character with your roleplaying style has every right to be empowered or tattooed. Possibly not by Yanoreth or Dalteric, and you're probably not going to be High Herald, but we have a variety of religions to suit a variety fo playstyles, provided the basic expectation of roleplaying is met. Similarly, a roleplay-heavy character has every right to try to become a Maran or a Battlerager, provided they are willing to give the PK aspects their best effort, and aren't afraid to get dirty, even if they aren't the best. They aren't going to be Captain of the Maran or the Avatar of Grurk, but certainly any player of any playstyle should be encouraged to extend themselves the variety of aspects of the game.

Also speaking for myself as a roleplaying-centered imm, I've been around long enough not to take the roleplaying too seriously. I hold a high bar for certain niches I've carved out for my peeps, but I've also empowered, and even occasionally tattooed, my fair share of just-adquate roleplayers who shine through PK, etc.

The game needs all kinds, and I don't have a problem with this kind of player.

I'm not sure if you've ever played a roleplay-optional MUD, but it's sort of silly. You can't really be in character and try to have all these motivations and character development when the dude you're grouping with is talking about how his stereo system roxxors your boxxors.

There's nothing wrong with being a player who's stronger on the PK side than the RP side as long as you're doing a pretty good job of staying in character; the more RPish players at least don't have you ####ing up their cabbage patch. Empowerment might be hard for you or it might not; it's hard to say. If you can accept that there's stuff out there that more RPful players can get that you can't, just as there are rewards that you can get that they might not be able to (e.g., you just bashed them down and you're eating their newbie breads), then play on and more power to you.