For me, roleplaying, or playing a role in a sim that caters to this is all about the story. Let's speak about Outbreak, two years after and the world as we know it has gone to hell. There is, in any scenario/tv show/movie or book, a balance of good and bad people. There has to be things happening, a whole spectrum of good to bad and things in between or you would not want to partake in it, as a viewer, or in roleplay, as a participant. There has to be! Can you imagine how dull a plot would be to watch if everything was harmonious and good?

But for this to occur, and be possible, there has to be give and take. Players have to become open to the possibility that their roleplay will not always go to plan, or how they imagined out-of-character without it coming to blows in IMs. This, of course, is another issue, and with good respectful communication, a solution is always possible. These moments ought to be the best moments because they challenge you and give your imagination and your characters something to struggle against, ride with and explore. Not just alone, either, but with everyone else on the sim. So don't always fight it!

Being the best, always succeeding will not develop character and can stunt and stagnate a sim. By failing, tripping, half-succeeding or changing a preferred path in RP, you create more and more stories, full of retribution, conflict, revenge, unity, and so much more. It evolves not just your character, but others' and the story as a result. So, roleplay, to me, is about all of this; the natural ebb and flow of story that has continuity, realism, and immersion; that permits others to partake and have an effect and lasting impression and you unto them. It's a web of story making that makes roleplay so much fun! The good, the bad, the ugly and accepting that really, realistically, this world of zombies and the worst kind of survival isn't always pretty.