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often, the more likely you will be to begin looking at Human nature in the real world, to explore why people do the things they do, and your enjoyment of television, movies, and novels is likely to increase to such a point where you are able to imagine yourself as the character(s) in those stories. The ability to switch between character's so rapidly can be a very good thing as it allows a diversity of thought and action you normally wouldn't think yourself capable of doing.

However, it can also be a detriment in that you MAY begin to lose your own identity in the process, while melding it with the thoughts and actions, loves, passion, and anger inherent in your alternate role-playing persona(s). This must be guarded against, and the more seasoned a role-player becomes, while keeping their feet firmly planted in the real world, the more likely the role-player will have to guard against it less.

To conclude, should you decide to play a member of the opposite sex -alternate races and classes are, really, up to the player to invent and/or fall within the guidelines of- you should take some time to study the opposite sex. It is helpful to understand their nuances, how they walk, move, talk, and the speed of thought in changing topics of conversation as well as the topics themselves. For instance, most women have a tendency to meander, to switch topics on a seconds notice, and to be somewhat more attentive to their surroundings and situation when they're alone, and not so much when with friends or family. Most men, on the other hand, have a tendency to be very direct, getting what they want and getting out, being very one-track minded concerning topics, especially when sports are involved, and are equally attentive -keep in mind I mean most men are virtually oblivious- to their surroundings whether by themselves or with friends. However, the role-player must also guard against putting men and women in a proverbial 'box', as each sex has its differences from the mainstay of their gender.

I hope this article has given you a discerning view on the social aspects of role-playing, which includes being able to play a character that may be very different from yourself in many ways. How you play your character may mean the difference between a hum drum 'okay-the-fellas-are-together' evening and a great stress-relieving experience you can take back to your real life and dream about between gaming sessions.

In my next article, I will talk about Character Types, classes and races, and the role of the GameMaster in role-playing games.

Learn more about this author, Paul Emerson.
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