So where does the mind go?

It's kind of interesting to play a character when it's RP that's in mind. I'm not talking about single player RPGs or the grind and pay MMORPGs. The latter doesn't really have any aspect of RP to it, so I kind of take issue to it claiming RPG... but meh, a topic for another time (or place).

When playing a true RPG, it's fun making the character and trying to live true to what their life would be. Sure, you can get up and quit any time you want. Yes, their world is incomplete. People that your character knows might not even exist at a given moment. But when you are there the world is given a chance to live a little. When you meet others, it's not a scripted event designed to further a story line but instead something that's actually happening.

Of course, it's fair to argue that they are a form of escapism. Leaving your life behind to enter a world of magic. A world of certainties about the gods. One where you do not need to be afraid of dying, yet can be a great warrior instead of that person who does that lousy job. Being something other than what you are. A valued hero instead of a nameless person.

But, a true RPG is more than an escape. It's an adventure, exploration of a world and its people. In this case, you as a player also count as someone. Your character is an extension of yourself. Intrinsic in some ways, and external in others. You make the decisions that guides your character, even as you try to base those decisions on what it is that the character would intend. You practice your empathy by trying to be someone else. You learn about your own self when you make choices for them that you would avoid if it were your life.

Yet, there are other people in the world that are trying to do the same thing. You can learn from watching them and interacting what their values are. What they think of as evil, what things they cannot see that you can and what you may have missed in your own way. What you learn here, you can try to use in your own life. You might find an interest in a vocation that you never really thought about. Or discover a talent for the arts.

It's a world of inspiration, when you have to truly imagine another person and their life. An artist might see things in their head that have not yet been depicted in the physical world. Writers find stories that need telling. Musicians find the pulse of music in the delicate dances and tense exchanges.

But it also serves to broaden the mind itself. Atheists can play in a world of gods. Theists can explore what it means to have faith in a world without gods. You can explore your values of good and evil, and perhaps find better ways to live your life.

Finally, it is about what it means to be you and what it means to be someone else. Some prefer to not have to reach far, and instead play the world as themselves. Others try to explore their polar opposites. Some try just to be someone new, even if they wind up becoming more like one another.

Regardless of the type of character that is played, we carry the knowledge of the consequences of our choices. Those that empathize with their characters fully might gain joy from the lives led, or sorrow for the inevitable losses. Humour might be found that can be shared with others. Finally, you learn more about what choices are really before you when you face challenging situations in the world. You learn how to interact with others, perhaps finding self confidence that you might have otherwise lacked.

After all, you can't choose to do things that you are ignorant about. These games give us a way to explore life without having spent our lives. Loss, gains, prestige, friends, family, and ethos. In the end they are still just games. But aren't games something you can gain from? Even if it's just enjoyment? It winds up being your choice if you're using them to escape or using them to explore.

For those interested in rpgs, who don't mind a bit of reading (hah, you made it this far didn't you? You can surely make it a little farther), explore muds. I'm rather partial to one named Legends of Karinth at the moment, you can backtrack to it via the Karinthadillo's page. But there are many out there. Some are crowded, some are quiet. Some have no bounds on imagination, others have defined worlds and roles. Pick your poison and pick your character. Give the worlds and players a fair shot, and if it ceases to be fun, move on.