What is Roleplay? Episode Five

I need a quick break from WoW, so I decide to try a free trial of Star Wars Galaxies.

After 10 minutes spent creating a suitably mullet-headed Jedi I log in and busy myself running around undertaking quests for Han Solo. It's all happy fun, even though the whole affair seems somewhat unpolished compared to WoW.

I'm pretty much alone in this starting zone, but after an hour or two of play I finally run into a group of other player-characters playing musical instruments in a medical bay. One of them stares at me as I stride in and comments; 'A loljedi'.

Instantly paranoia hits me. A loljedi? What does that mean? The implications don't sound very good. Have I chosen a character class that will mark me out for humiliation across the universe? Shit. I decide to Google the expression and try and get a better understanding of exactly what a loljedi might be.

The results aren't very flattering. I put together a picture of a game overun with wannabe Jedi's, often roleplayed very poorly. I feel a little stung by the insult. After all, I hadn't interacted with anyone yet.

I log back in and a stocky looking man in a military jacket approaches me.

'slt' he says.

I'm a little puzzled by the odd statement. Who or what is slt I wonder. Is he calling my William Wallace looking Jedi Apprentice a slut?

'Excuse me?' I respond, slightly annoyed.

'Sorry,' he pleads. 'I'm French.'

Some hours later, after having failed to use my Jedi powers to leap off low surfaces, I land on Tatooine. Here a reasonable collection of other players are, well, standing there. I can't see any other Jedi's and am feeling slightly on the spot in my Padawan judo outfit.

A bearded man comes up to me.

'English or German?' he questions.

'I'm a little bewildered,' I try to imagine my characters response to the strange question. 'I've just arrived here.'

Weirdly he turns tail and runs away. Watching him jog on I feel I have won a small victory of some kind.

Suddenly my name is being called and a very wise looking person is approaching me. Due to the miracle of floating titles I can see he is a Guild Master. This kind person answers some of my immediate questions and does it in such a way that allows us both to stay in character. At last my first sophisticated Star Wars Galaxies conversation!

I'm about to finish the happy exchange with a wise closing remark. Perhaps 'May the force be with you!' or simply 'Farewell friend' when a terrible message appears on my screen...

You have exceeded the chat limit for a trial account. You will be unable to chat for the next 8 minutes.

I try to speak but nothing comes out. My mouth is opening and closing, but I'm standing there in front of this wise Guild Master and unable to say a single bloody word. How the hell do I get out of this situation without losing massive face? In the end there is only one solution.

I turn tail and run away. Like a loljedi.