Roleplaying has been a big part of Sime~Gen Fandom in varying forms for many years, starting on mIRC (Internet Relay Chat) in real time, as far back as 1998. Fans would meet from all over the world at a specific time, and on a specific IRC "channel" to craft elaborate storylines together and play them out "off the cuff" in real time. These storylines might have continued for months at a time.
Here are some examples of fan role-playing games. The BENDER COVE scenario is part of the actual Sime~Gen Universe Chronology --- http://www.simegen.com/CHRONO1.html --- Year 30: Setting for the "Bender Cove" RPG which might be regarded as invented by Simes and Gens on the cross-Border Internet.
Related to "Bender Cove" is a writing lesson for the Simegen.com's domain WorldCrafters Guild Writing School. Workshop: Establishing Background or "One Ordinary Day With Chocolate & Shiltpron" by Jacqueline Lichtenberg. http://www.simegen.com/school/workshop/WORKChocolateAndShiltpron.html
Part of this lesson includes a LOG OF AN IRC SESSION IN THE SIME~GEN SCENARIO "BENDER COVE" WHERE Jacqueline Lichtenberg is "Hilo" and Jean Lorrah is "Virena" both characters from published Sime~Gen, descendants of characters in the published novels, in an unusual visit to the RPG to have some fun with the fans. "Veraik" is a character who has left his own Householding and is waiting to Pledge to another. VeraikNoH (No House) becomes Veraik ambrov Zeor in this episode.
Session Start: Sun Nov 01 13:51:35 1998
- Rabharm is waiting in the Lobby with Devida by his side for the arrival of the Sectuib in Zeor
- Devida is calmly sitting near the door watching Rabharm pace and smiling to herself.
- Darrel paces back and forth, wondering how he once more he got stuck with duty in the Dreaded Lobby.
- Serena is putting up a final flower arrangement.
<Darrel> Monkeys playing pick-up-sticks, monkeys playing pick-up-sticks....
- VeraikNoH goes to his office and waits. ~ nervous ~
- Serena walks over to Darrel to support him.
<Serena> Relax Darrel. They'll be here and gone soon enough.
<Darrel> Serena, we're going to have whole hordes of powerful dignitaries running around expecting us to be perfect, and poking into everything.
- Darrel shudders.
<Darrel> ~~ freaking ~~
--- The rest of the log is snipped. Feel free to go to the website and investigate further.
Another roleplaying group created "Borderlands." This notice came from one of our newsletters from 2010 --- Borderlands Part 32, "On The Run," is now posted at http://www.simegen.com/sgfandom/fans/bev/boom/index.html#part.32 Who's on the run? Well, new characters Dilena and Portia are on the run from Gen Territory, which doesn't like their lifestyle very much. No, they're both Gens. Sosu Nick is not actually on the run, but like Yellow-Dog Dingo, he's very truly run after, and by a rather unsavory character. Poor Ambassador Tsibola is back in town, and at least four difficult interviews with different people send him on the run -- to his bed.Sidebars include the beginnings of a new Distect scare, this time out-Territory, and a scene where Cristal asks for advice (with thematic connections to one of the main plot threads). We also have Saag and Randayl, the Senator's Sime sons, exchanging stories, as well as Fennik and Tsibola having one of their brandy evenings, only without the brandy this time.