| Role playing in a text based chat room is a relatively | | | | have to type a specific string or click a specific button. |
| unique experience. Unlike world of war craft and other | | | | By contrast, in a chat room, any action that you want |
| graphical avatar based applications, a chat room has | | | | your character to take can simply be narrated in, using |
| almost no visual reference. The exception is the use | | | | written words to describe exactly what it looks like. |
| of graphic symbols or icons, such as smiley faces, or | | | | This allows a lot more freedom than an avatar does, |
| avatar photos. Otherwise, the entire game is based on | | | | as you can literally write anything that you can imagine. |
| words written back and forth by players around the | | | | A graphic is constrained by what the programmers |
| world. | | | | decided to put in ahead of time. |
| This may at first seem limiting. In a world where | | | | The further benefit is the literary style that the game |
| everything is spelled out in intense graphic detail, the | | | | takes. Instead of just doing stuff, you are actually |
| idea of using words to play a game, especially written | | | | collaborating on a novel with other people. The result is |
| words, is a bit alien. However there is actually a | | | | a full textual account of everything that happens, |
| freedom to this style of play which is lacking in other | | | | allowing you to sit back and read it as if it were an |
| systems. | | | | actual book. |
| In multiplayer role playing worlds based on graphical | | | | While it may be a relatively obscure genre, role playing |
| characters, the programmers can add hundreds or | | | | chat rooms provide a unique experience which |
| even thousands of motions to the avatar you control. | | | | merges creativity, narrative ability, writing skills, and |
| This means they can dance, sing, and even smooch. | | | | imagination, to create an environment in which anything |
| However in order to evoke these commands, you | | | | and everything is possible. |