Pace

So, I'm curious, do you prefer RPs that move quickly like JO or Z that require weekly posts (or similar), or do you prefer slower-paced RPs? What are the pros and cons of each? What's the ideal pace for an RP to move at?

Here lately I've been wishing that I was in rps with a little more strictness about their posting schedule, but I know the second that I got put on one I'd dip out. I think a post a month is more than fine for some rps who are intended to be much longer than normal, but for ones which will be shorter and the players and gm both want to hammer shit out and get on with their lives ic and ooc a posting schedule is great. Maybe RPs should have a required post every other week? Regardless of its by players or the gm. I kind of like the idea of monthly summaries, where the gm or a player would basically draw up a short timeline of the events going on across all the different characters, since for some rps it can get a little wonky and it would also possibly aid in putting some gas in other people's engines if they could see what was going down around town without having to trudge through four or five posts per person when they fall behind.

Oh wow, things have changed quite a bit since ive been here last haha. I was under the impression that a post a week was a relatively slow pace for an RP to trudge along...guess I'll need to make some changes to Kingmarch's expected posting schedule, then.

For my part, I think once-a-week-post-RPs are more my cup of tea.

Slower. Without hesitation.
I like to be able to work at my leisure, in my (Increasingly rare) moments of free time. Writing is like any form of art. If you have to rush, you inevitably have to force it... and when we force something it's generally some shit.

As long as something is done mechanic-wise to control that pace, I can't say I'd mind either or.

Honestly I think I prefer quicker stuff? I get fucked up if I let myself fall behind regardless but I feel like with slow stuff there's a lack of incentive for me to get myself going at all bc I'm like "yeah i got time whatever" so I just... don't write at all.

it may also have to do with the fact that im a big fan of fast and loose IM roleplay as well- I want to write it while I'm in the mood and hammer it out before I inevitably lose interest or free time.

I have been in a number of RPs now in the last 4 years and I can confidently say I prefer quick Rps with a post or two a week.

I have been on every possible pace level in RP. A lot of posts in a single week, 1 or 2 posts in a single week and 1 post every 2 weeks.

The slow RPs fall apart, badly at that. When you have around 2 or so posts a week, the RP lasts longer and people tend to stay around,

If you go too fast and say 5 posts every few days per person, people drop out because they can't keep up. If you only post once every two weeks, people lose interest and drop out.

Slower. Really. It inspires me more to create posts with better quality than more posts with subpar quality. Plus, I can create better character development with longer posts.

RPT tho sure came from a long way. Back then, people were posting with the bare minimum of 100 posts.

It's interesting that you mention character development as being easier for you in longer posts because I'm the exact opposite- I prefer to develop characters through interactions rather than like, introspection, so shorter posts that run together with someone else's are my ideal, though I tend to settle for interacting with my own NPCs. I think that's why I found RP to be easier and more engaging a long time ago, when the interactions between players were all in the thread (admittedly out of necessity because communication wasn't as easy as it is today). Yeah, they may have been shorter posts, but they moved the plot along quickly and where everyone could see as opposed to these days, where so much time is spent behind the scenes- writing, editing, perfecting, participating in these joint posts that take forever to see the light of day.

Hmm, maybe it's like- I'm not interested in taking the time to perfect my writing itself. I don't really care if the words aren't perfect, or the characterization is a little off. We can always discuss and hash things out in the OOC if it's not clear. I'm more interested in fleshing out characters and worlds as we go and taking so much time to do so kind of throws me off, since I'm not getting the collaborative experience when I'm dropping 1500 words on my own. I think of RPs as more of a draft than a final story, because when you're collaborating with a bunch of people- hardly any of you are going to mesh, or click, or whatever. There's work to be done between players as well as by players to figure out where you're going and how you're doing it together. I just don't think more words, more time spent editing, and posting less often is particularly helpful to that end.

Bang it out and keep on going is really it imo.

I really like that perspective... seeing posts as "drafts" rather than final stories. Because I've always seen them as the latter, and in the case of many roleplays, it's likely an unrealistic standard. There's so much of a story the author can control; it's the near-opposite with almost every RP. And when writing posts too, for me, there's little engagement of different stages in the writing process itself. It's just getting something out that corresponds with what's already there.

Idk, I thought that was a good point, something that resonated with me.

Junier said:

I really like that perspective... seeing posts as "drafts" rather than final stories. Because I've always seen them as the latter, and in the case of many roleplays, it's likely an unrealistic standard. There's so much of a story the author can control; it's the near-opposite with almost every RP. And when writing posts too, for me, there's little engagement of different stages in the writing process itself. It's just getting something out that corresponds with what's already there.

Idk, I thought that was a good point, something that resonated with me.

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wow you use many big words!!! but i have mostly agreement with this one, :)

Ha, I try! I am glad we are of agreeing, Johhny :)

Junier said:

Ha, I try! I am glad we are of agreeing, Johhny :)

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Can we become friend Junier???