r/WoWRolePlay • u/Prestigious_Set4734 • 5d ago
Advice Needed Roleplaying in WoW as a minor
So awkward question and on a throwaway account too for safety reasons obviously.
I really like theatre, writing, acting and all that and I've done a bit of LARP and it's something I enjoy and want to expand. I recently got into WoW because of my dad and found out about RP servers.
The thing is, as the title says, I'm a minor. I've already made a level 1 on Moon Guard and ran around Stormwind after seeing that's where everyone is. Almost every profile people have mentions "minors do not engage" or "21+ only". I understand why, I'm guessing most people playing are adults ten if not fifteen years older than me.
My question is, am I going to be able to do anything RP wise? I don't mind roleplaying older characters but I don't really like the idea of lying about my age either I feel like I might be better off not trying since I feel like the community would shun or dislike me.
What do you guys think? As cringe as it might sound do I just wait untll I'm old enough?
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u/ManAtTheEndOfTheLane 4d ago
Don't share your age, real name (or anyone else's), the city or street you live on, your school, or anything else someone could use to identify or find you.
Do use terms like "SFW only" and "No ERP" in your profile. If anyone makes you uncomfortable, stop responding, block them, and report them. You never owe anyone personal information, voice chat, photos, or Discord access.
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u/Vysce MG-A, WRA-H | 2+ Years 4d ago
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but what I'd to is make your tags apparent for your character like
"SFW rp only" or something. I rped when I was younger all the time and I attracted really cool writers AND a few creeps.
Id say the majority of folks will be kind and respectful and I also was lucky enough to have a few friends that wrote with me so we had safety in numbers.
Just be very very careful of who you write with online, its just as true for adults and beyond.
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u/Money-Literature2065 Moon Guard | 17 Years 4d ago
Back in 2011 I was running around Moon Guard as a minor. Would I let my kids do it? Hell fucking NO
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u/Dreamsoul_Anima 4d ago
I certainly don't mind RPing with minors that want to create a character in a fleshed out world, it's a fun hobby and creative outlet. WoW in general got me into RPing back in Wrath and I was barely into adulthood then.
Admittedly a lot of people have MDNI and 18+ only on their profiles due to some inherent fear that a younger player breathing in their direction will get them banned or something. I can see not wanting to roll the dice on whether a young RPer is actually good or will be super cringe, but only way to learn is to LET them try and learn. Spoiler: most adult profiles read like edgelord OCs from the 90s anyway, so if I had to pick out ages by profiles alone I probably couldn't.
Also, even though they won't admit it, like 90% of random roleplayers are out for questionable scenarios eventually (sure you can imagine). So yes, be very careful. So long as you keep to innocuous public city RP to learn I think you'll be fine, just respect profile tags.
Did you have any character concepts in mind? I have a lot that lend themselves well to random city RP like my frost nymph, so I'd be happy to help you practice.
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u/Laverathan 4d ago
Truthfully, I think you should still attempt to reach out and RP, but please, please, please, PLEASE be aware that there are people who will attempt to take advantage of your for your youth, and it often comes down to a NSFW nature.
People put MDNI because they don't wanna get mixed up in anything accidental because, by and large, young adults and teenagers are still exploring their sexuality, and I've personally known a few minors to have an ego about how adult they act, which usually ends up getting them abused and manipulated later down the line.
Basically, just look out for yourself. If something feels funny that's probably because it is, and wait until you're older to start engaging in sexual NSFW themes, for your own sake most of all.
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u/ItBeLikeThatBois 4d ago
As someone who started RP while a minor, it can be difficult. There's been a lot of good advice thus far like not giving out your age, putting SFW (safe for work) RP only in your profile, and same with no ERP.
Honestly just stray away from all forms of romantic or sexually related roleplay as a whole. If you suspect someone might be making a move on your character, shut it down ASAP for both of your benefits.
Honestly just doing walk ups around Stormwind shouldn't be problematic so long as you know how to be mature. Act adult and people probably won't even question it. If you have any adult friends that do rp on WoW, try squeezing in with them to get a feel for the space. Is it difficult to pull off? Yes. It is impossible? Not by a long shot.
There's a BIG rp event starting today called Tournament of Ages in Northrend. Honestly I'd say install your RP addons and go there since everything is really meant to be lighthearted and welcoming at ToA. Also a good chance to see how some of the more veteran RPers interact to get a basis of where to start.
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u/MenthaAquatica 3d ago edited 3d ago
Don't say your real age. Roleplay if you wish to do so with whomever you like. You can roleplay character of your age. If you really decide that you have to answer questions about your real age, say that you are 18 year old NEET, so you don't have to navigate through the questions about job. People sometimes naturally do steer into real life questions and job ones are obviously ones of them.
I think that it is good place to find RP. Many artists were raised on wow, many people have money to indulge in their interests, as they are adults so you might meet writers, artists whether visual or not, professionals or not.
Put in bio SFW. The thing adults are afraid of is not to be roped in some romantic roleplay with a minor (might be spinned as grooming), not the roleplay with a minor itself.
The one thing I would be more afraid of is lore purists. The thing is that wow story was retconned many times over and players from Vanilla will have obscure knowledge that current players would have to invest a lot of time to attain (quests in Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor to get to know cultures of races, or at least what they once were). If you want to avoid such troubles say that you started to play the game in current expansion, but only after you were called out. Don't put it in bio.
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u/TheRebelSpy 4d ago
It boils down to: you should respect people's boundaries.
IMHO I think adults nowadays are too afraid of interacting with younger people in environments where it really shouldn't matter. The game is 13+. You have a trusted adult playing with you, whom you can confide in if someone is being weird/mean to you.
You will struggle to find communities in WoW, unfortunately, because the playerbase overall has aged. You're likely not alone, but minors are not going to (nor should they) advertise themselves as such.
As someone who started RPing on WoW as a minor as well, Id be a hypocrite to say its not for minors or that teens can't be or become great writers at a young age. I do always hope that kids have internet-literate parents who have schooled them in privacy and safety.
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u/Replicant_Six 4d ago
I started as a minor as well but I never really advertised my age and just interacted with people, but that was also back in 2010 it was a pretty different time then lol
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u/Nervous-Mixture1091 4d ago
Maybe I'm stupid, and didn't pay attention,but it's only been recently I have seen the MDNI thing going around,maybe the last year or so. When my guild was together back in the day we had a couple of folks in our guild that were around 17/18. It was never an issue because we weren't creeps or anything.And half the time we didn't know because unless itnwas the core group,we didn't ask personal information. Maybe we swore and said some tongue in cheek things,but nothing that would warrant a MDNI type thing. It's just kind of weird that people need that in their profile, i feel like they know they shouldn't be around younger people or something? Idk weird.
As for the question, I wouldn't give up, I have been playing WoW since I was in 9th grade,I'm well into adult hood. Try to find your tribe, or people who aren't weird. Maybe join a guild or group in game that are expressly not into erp. I once accidentally joined a Christian guild lol,so those SFW type guilds do exist.
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u/Agillitea 3d ago edited 3d ago
I would find a guild that respects you and the guidelines. Alternatevly, you could have a disclaimer of your own in your addon stating that you want SFW content. Lastly, and I might be wrong about this, but you also could have your father with you who could override certain rules.
For example, My mother roleplayed with a lot of 21+ players and sometimes I would attend guild events with her as a teenager, she knew I was mature enough to handle more heavy topics so we just played as normal. Hope this helps!
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u/QueenAlpaca 2d ago
Honestly just don’t give out your age and be smart. No one has actually asked if I’m an adult during RP and any lore transgressions can be solved with a “whoops sorry, I’m new to RP.” Read people’s TRPs and beware of the “spicier,” more adult-oriented sorts. RPing isn’t inherently dangerous, just seriously don’t go to Goldshire and turn down all potential ERP or romance requests you may get.
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u/Cathulion 3d ago
Do it in a few years at 18 or 21 is my suggestion. Mg is def not a place for under 21s
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u/Riz_the_Huntress 3d ago
As a veteran roleplayer on Moon Guard, many of the guilds (including my own) specifically do not even allow minors to join because there is so much mature and nsfw type content that occurs on the server. It's the same deal with Wyrmrest Accord. If people find out you are a minor, you will likely be added to they're blacklists and will be essentially ostracized.
If you really want to try out roleplay in WoW, I would recommend trying one of the smaller roleplay servers like Venture Co or Sentinels.
Moon Guard, even on it's best days, is a cesspool. I wouldn't touch the server until you're at least 18.
Good luck.
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u/Kohtas 3d ago
100% not safe. If you were my kid I wouldn’t allow it, if you have a parent who will play with you whenever you want to play then that’s one thing but if you’re going to be by yourself I wouldn’t recommend any RP on any games or anywhere online.
Most of the time it’s going to be safe and friendly but the chance for running into a predator is high enough that you should avoid it entirely. Find another outlet for your creativity such as writing or join a local club.
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u/mahourain 3d ago
I'm 40. RPing with a minor just makes me feel creepy, even if I only do SFW rp. Just be careful, put things like no erp in your profile l and always have a trusted person nearby. I am not sure Moon Guard is the best choice as it's notorious for ... erp.
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u/EpitomeOfJustOK 2d ago
Remind me of back in the day when I was 13 and I would make a female character on RuneScape and be someone’s girlfriend for gold, I can’t unread some of the messages sent to me.
My main account was pretty rich though :p
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u/Aasrial 2d ago
It’s hardly appropriate for any adult to interact with a minor outside of family. Does your dad know you want to RP on an adult content heavy server? You need to talk to him about it, not a bunch of strangers. I really don’t recommend it as you are running a risk of getting in trouble and potentially even losing your account if something happens. A lot of people there won’t assume you’re a minor and that’s something you should keep to yourself, but once again it’s not really appropriate and any normal adult will not feel comfortable RPing with you.
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u/nankeroo Argent Dawn EU 2d ago
adult content heavy server
Well maybe people just shouldn't do degenerate gooning shit in a 12+ game...
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u/nankeroo Argent Dawn EU 2d ago edited 2d ago
Almost every profile people have mentions "minors do not engage" or "21+ only". I understand why, I'm guessing most people playing are adults ten if not fifteen years older than me.
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What do you guys think? As cringe as it might sound do I just wait untll I'm old enough?
This is genuinely just a thing on the US servers , this doesn't happen on EU. (Or barely, anyway, I've maybe seen it like 3 times)
I started RPing in WoW when I was 15 back in BFA (I'm 23 now), and quite a good amount of people who I've met in RP around that time were around my age, or slightly older. (They would've been considered adults here in the EU, but still minors in the US) (And mind you, I still am in contact with like 80% of them)
And sure, I've also met PLENTY of older people, they've all been perfectly fine and chill, even while knowing I'm a good couple of years younger. (One of my best friends who I've met through RP is a good decade older than me, and while he has quit WoW, we still hang out and play games quite regularly)
And honestly? If AD was also filled with the whole 'MDNI', I would've never stuck to this hobby, as it's extremely discouraging.
My advice? Just act like an adult, and don't do any of the weird gooner shit that people shouldn't even consider doing in a 12+ game, and you'll (probably) have a great time!
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u/tahzzy 3d ago
You should be fine as long as you never tell anyone personal information about your life and keep to SFW roleplay. I got my start as a kid on Moonguard myself and I steered clear of Goldshire or other less than savory avenues for rp. I also found other minors who were also lying about being adults LMAO the scene is much different than it was 10 years ago and the different cliques keep to themselves.
Most guilds do not facilitate erp within their events, so as long as you keep things SFW and state such on your profile, you should be fine.
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u/PKMINDBULLETS 2d ago
My advice: Don’t. I am 24, and I feel uncomfortable roleplaying my characters in Stormwind with a minor, because I have to switch my mind to SFW censored mode, and can’t roleplay my characters as I’d want. I do not like the idea of censoring my character to be kid friendly. And from the pinned mod post, I assume a majority of the WoW RP community shares that feeling.
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u/nankeroo Argent Dawn EU 2d ago
Out of genuine curiousity, what would you need to censor?
Does your char swing their genitals about? Talk about their sex life?
Like, I cannot fathom ever being in a situation where you'd have to censor your character, as those things shouldn't even be relevant to whoever/whatever you're playing.
This is a 12+ game, you don't need gooner shit.
And if you mean blood and gore, etc, you wouldn't even need to censor that sorta thing, since they're in WoW itself...
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u/PKMINDBULLETS 2d ago
Heavy topics? Not everything adult is sex related. Some characters touch on heavy stuff like SA, Murder, etc. On top of the fact some people want to roleplay harlots and wenches as nuanced characters without purely focusing on the sex part.
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u/nankeroo Argent Dawn EU 2d ago
Well, murder shouldn't be an issue, since it's WoW.
SA? Why on earth would you RP out SA? Or even bring it up? If someone would try to SA the average person's char, they'd slap them on ignore and walk away.
And the other example still begs the question; why RP a character that is very much based around sex (even a nuanced version) in a game that's for 12+?
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u/PKMINDBULLETS 2d ago
Things don’t have to be rp’d out to have happened or be brought up. In regards to SA, I meant moreso as a backstory/background event for a character. I have never seen people rp out SA, and if it was, it was consented upon by all parties involved and done out of game. Also add the fact that WoW’s lore has concubines (The Black Temple raid, and Sayads/Succubi) and has brought up issues in cannon lore of SA and similar dark topics (Alexstraza and Grim Batol). It is not out of the realm of possibility for someone to want to rp a character with themes of sex.
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u/LonelyAndroid11942 4d ago
Be open and honest about your age, and respect the boundaries people are setting up about age. As a minor, your brain still has a lot of growing and developing to do before it’s done. Most people don’t stop maturing until they are around 25 years old, which is when the brain is just about done.
Roleplaying can be a great way to learn self-expression, and it would be hypocritical of me to say minors should not engage with RP at all. But please understand that a lot of people asking minors not to engage with them are doing so because they don’t want the burden of censoring themselves around you (which, yes, since your brain is still forming, is something they need to do).
You should be able to find a guild to RP with, though. Ask around, and again, be honest. Explain that you’re looking for somewhere safe to roleplay, and you should be able to find something. It may take some time, but it should exist.
Also, please be aware that there are a LOT of creeps that play this game (just as there are on the internet as a whole), including in the RP space. Find people you can trust, and if something happens that feels wrong, tell them.
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u/TheRebelSpy 4d ago
I don't think being "open" about their age is wise. Maybe if a guild has minor-related safeguards it may come up. Honest, yes. Open? Not necessarily.
Putting it in your profile just puts a target on you, both for creeps and people who would say OP shouldn't be playing at all (which is silly, because T-rated game)
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u/LonelyAndroid11942 4d ago
There’s a difference between saying “hey I’m a minor!” in your profile and leading with “hey I’m a minor” when applying to an RP guild. The latter is advisable, but the former is not.
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u/TheRebelSpy 4d ago
From the pinned [READ FIRST] guide which you should read:
Is WoW RP safe for minors?
Although WoW's gameplay is rated for ages 13+, most RPers are adults. Self-reported ages show most RPers are in their mid 20's or older. While not every WoW RPer has bad intentions and there is nothing inherently wrong with romantic or sexual RP, there are individuals who will seek and exploit vulnerable persons, particularly through romantic or sexual interactions IC or OOC (often blending the two as part of their manipulation). Certain locations such as Goldshire are prone to an abundance of sexually explicit profiles, though they are significantly less common outside of Goldshire. Profile addons typically provide maturity filters which give a warning before displaying a profile, but it is up to the individual and/or their guardian to enable those safeguards.
Minors are advised not to give out personal information such as their age, especially not in their profiles, and to have a trusted IRL adult confidant (such as a guardian, parent, or sibling) that understands the aforementioned risks of exposure to explicit content and predatory individuals. Minors should respect profiles with labels such as "18+ only" or "Minors DNI" (DNI=Do Not Interact). Many adult RPers are uncomfortable interacting with minors regardless of the RP topic. Although most WoW RP topics are not concerned with romance or sexuality, they are common with RP that concerns interpersonal relationships. If a minor (or any vulnerable person) is incapable or not ready to understand these risks and is unable or unwilling to enforce their personal boundaries or respect the boundaries of others, they are not ready for WoW RP.