>>717638865 (OP) No, it is just another aspect of the fandom to enjoy, the other person does not need to be all knowledgeable about a character they are cosplaying, but it does help as actual RPing adds to the fun.
this seems more relevant for comic books than vidya. people still play vidya. comics are the medium where casuals (females) dress up at cons without having ever touched a comic book in their lives.