For a lot of people role playing is the best part of Dark Forces. Not as boring as endless leveling, or as dreary as equipment forays, RP can be as good as TV. I will warn you though; it can be addicting and should not be used in real life.
Good role playing is a skill that must be honed and developed. You must practice it like riding, if you slip and fall on your ass you must stand up and mount again. Once you're up there you might be bucked off and injured. Still you must strive on until you can gallop through the desert with your dark red cloak streaming behind you in the wind and Tusken Raiders tailing you like the cops in a high-speed chase scene.
Which leads to the following 64k question: "Wtf am I supposed to do?" -- Read on and be amazed at the answer.
First know that RP will help you in real life even if you should never do it in real life. It develops good problem solving skills and a higher level of thinking. Many great men got their start role playing on DF, Sythe for example.
You should start every character you create by writing down seven important and very important things. This is very important.
Refer to these answers to decide how your character will respond in certain situations. This is similar to the method authors use when developing characters for books.
Choose four mannerisms to associate with your character. These will help others create an idea of you that sticks in their mind. These can be anything from sayings you might mutter to yourself, socials that particularly fit your characters personality, or actions that have no effect but to convey something to other players.
If you can find an item that is relatively rare or unique, wear it at all times. Decide on a story to tell players about that equipment. Perhaps it was a splendid good adventure you were having when you found it, saving a family of Ewoks from a burning house and receiving it as a reward for example. This will help establish your character when other players look at you.
Perhaps the most important is your characters title. Your title defines your character and whether other players will take you seriously. It helps other players to form opinions about you before they even meet you. If your title is Vrian the Multi-Colored Monkey, players will assume you are someone who doesn't take RP seriously, or much else for that matter. If your name is Gorgon, Grey Hand of the Beleaguered, players will immediately see you as someone who will RP and probably has a background for his character.
The same goes for a player description. You don't have to be a published author to write a good description. All you need is one that shows you tried and are willing to try role playing.
These are probably the simplest and most affective methods for developing and practicing RP. Like I said it is a skill and one that takes courage to develop as well as time. Don't be embarrassed if you enter a room full of players all giggling and licking each other; ask where the nearest New Republic official is because you need to report a crime.
It's all a game and should be fun before anything else. Live on the edge and look forward to the first time you fall off and land on your ass.