What could get you back into RPing?

In case you're one of those people who RP less now than before :)

The only thing that stopped me was dying RPs.
I cant stand that feeling of getting excited for what's to come and planning ahead, only to see it die before you clear the first hurdle. Seems to be a never ending cycle. Maybe if the right project comes along at the right time, with enough incentive to keep people to stick it out through to the end...but my love for RPing doesn't outweigh my frustration at an unfinished project anymore

Shak said:

The only thing that stopped me was dying RPs.
I cant stand that feeling of getting excited for what's to come and planning ahead, only to see it die before you clear the first hurdle. Seems to be a never ending cycle. Maybe if the right project comes along at the right time, with enough incentive to keep people to stick it out through to the end...but my love for RPing doesn't outweigh my frustration at an unfinished project anymore

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I hear you :/ I'm discouraged from being a GM much these days because of the feelings of guilt and frustration when my RPs die. In some ways it's worse when you're not the GM - then you're pretty helpless.

More time, more plots? Guess that's more on myself.
RPs dying is a natural sad constant :(

A small scale story I could really get into with people with similar creative interests as me, I think. I don't think it was bad in any way, but I did realize that a lot of times I lost interest because people had wildly different views of what a story could be, and what influences to bring into it.

You know, what has stopped me is a lot of RPs tend to die, especially when they are huge RPs, that don't seem to have an end, or will take a long time to get to that point.

So what would get me back into RPing more?

Back when ORAS was first announced, there was a RP called "Hoenn Grand Festival." It was a very short RP that lasted for a month or so, but everyone that was in it, loved doing it. It had an ending. Even if you weren't the winner and came in the Top 5 or so, like I did, your character had a sense of completion. It was fun to do and we go a badge on our profile for taking part in it.

I think what would get a lot of people back into RPing are those small RPs that end within a month of starting. It doesn't have to be a Contest in Hoenn, it could be a Battle Royal Tournament in Alola where you can only use one pokemon. That to me would just be awesome to see again and maybe once people felt that sense of completion like I did, they would see an RP to its end.

IcyIce said:

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I loved that event!! I actually have been intending to bring either it, or something similar, back to the section for a while now because I really want to capture that again.

I've also been planning to start doing something I'm calling "Scenario RPs", which will basically be very short RPs confined to a single, resolvable situation.

So there should be some stuff for you to enjoy coming in the near future.

I use to do a lot of role playing back in the day but now it seems like it's way to much work. It seems as if you need to have a small story just for the character you're making and to me that's just not something I wanna have to worry about just let it come out in the role play if necessary. The other thing that turned me off after awhile was having to do walls of texts and then reading everyone else's wall of texts.

But that's just me.

I'm easily brought back by Pokémon RPs, especially journey and PMD stories. However, like some have already mentioned, the reason I go on hiatus at times is due to the death of the RPs I've put some time into. But of course, I do meander and mingle in the forums after a small break, ready to dip my feet again once re-energized. (:

I have joined too many RPs and many ended up dying, some in birthing stage. I'm still RPing, but I want to give RPs a closure and I'm getting tired of it. RP needs time, and I wish I had more. Because sometimes school or life events come crashing down on you and you can't help but be a bit inactive when everyone's active and viceversa. I need to manage my time better, to be honest. But small RPs with closure are a good idea. I like more... never-ending RPs, but only if they stay active (I'm not saying to be active it's got to have a post every day from everyone, just, some posts a month is good? as long as it's constant and well thought-out, creating the story and I think every post is important, so taking it slow is good too).

Darkmaster006 said:

I have joined too many RPs and many ended up dying, some in birthing stage. I'm still RPing, but I want to give RPs a closure and I'm getting tired of it. RP needs time, and I wish I had more. Because sometimes school or life events come crashing down on you and you can't help but be a bit inactive when everyone's active and viceversa. I need to manage my time better, to be honest. But small RPs with closure are a good idea. I like more... never-ending RPs, but only if they stay active (I'm not saying to be active it's got to have a post every day from everyone, just, some posts a month is good? as long as it's constant and well thought-out, creating the story and I think every post is important, so taking it slow is good too).

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Would you rather see how Ignea would have ended in Earth and Sky Beyond?

Moving on from this, I've sort of an event and interest check placed in the forum... Taking an RP, roughly, off the forum and onto something a bit different.

I feel the same way about my own E and S iterations. I start them, they get good and my players sort of vanish. Life? School? All of this, I can live with, but this is a story that's just gone and it's something I want to see done and flourish or have a proper conclusion.

Caite-chan said:

I use to do a lot of role playing back in the day but now it seems like it's way to much work. It seems as if you need to have a small story just for the character you're making and to me that's just not something I wanna have to worry about just let it come out in the role play if necessary. The other thing that turned me off after awhile was having to do walls of texts and then reading everyone else's wall of texts.

But that's just me.

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I wanted to add to this post in hopes of maybe bettering the area in the future and possibly bring people back.

One thing I have noticed, that didn't used to be so, is that it seems like SU are graded too hardly now days. I understand that it needs to interesting. But some RPs are just being to harsh with things. Of course there needs to be boundaries, but when you grade too harshly with things, it pushes people away.

Rping is supposed to be fun, it isn't supposed to feel like a job. Why would I want to put so much work into something, that I am not going to sell or get published?

One section I hate when it comes to some Roleplays are strengths and weaknesses. Some of these possibilities can be both and I just think it is redundant if there is a personality section already.

If an RP starts to fill more like work and not really fun, I am just going to take my ideas else where so it doesn't feel like a job.

If you are like me, you write a lot. I have won 3 writings contests with hard work and I just want to enjoy and practice writing with RP. But sometimes, people grade SU's way way too harshly and you get declined small things, even though everything else is fine. When it gets to that point of nitpicking, it becomes more like a job. Which I want nothing to do with if I am not going to get it published.

Things that should be simple, are getting push far beyond what should be fine for an RP. I think that is why this area is having so many dying RPs and not many new people are coming in.


One other thing is realism. People want to make the story too real. Too logical, and yes again it need boundaries, but if it is a Pokemon RP, what is logical? That was just something that annoyed me a few year back and made me quit RPing for a long time.

IcyIce said:

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I don't think this is really about betterment of the section. A lot of people here. For example, actually prefer the strengths and weaknesses method because they have trouble with personality sections or feel locked in by them (personally I don't, but that's me).

On top of that, there has always been a wide spectrum of what people expect from an RP applicant and that is still the case. Z or Powderkeg for example have fairly high bars for entry whilst Back to Basics or Digital Warfare have fairly low bars for entry based on what the GM wants themselves and other participants to get out of the RP.

I'd say this is really just your personal preference talking.

I can relate with the too much work part, but as mentioned, it depends on preference. I joined a roleplay that asked you to really flesh out your character, and there was a limited amount of spots available. I found the challenge fun. I got to explore More of my character before even roleplaying. What gets me more is the lack of activity. I understand not being able to post immediately, bit some people take a month or more to reply. That's not very fun. If this happens, then it means the person taking so long to reply either shouldn't be there, especially if they made a commitmemt, or they or the roleplay should not require long posts.

The right amount of time and just enough motivation! Life gets busy sometimes, but if you like something enough you can find some time, maybe? I think I might have found it...

SV said:

The right amount of time and just enough motivation!

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This lol

I've been slacking off on all my writing in general, as well as plenty of other things. Trying to build up motivation to be more productive

IcyIce said:

Back when ORAS was first announced, there was a RP called "Hoenn Grand Festival." It was a very short RP that lasted for a month or so, but everyone that was in it, loved doing it. It had an ending. Even if you weren't the winner and came in the Top 5 or so, like I did, your character had a sense of completion. It was fun to do and we go a badge on our profile for taking part in it.

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That was such a fun event

And I think something short and simple like that could definitely be a nice way to warm up/dust off your rping skills. I do love RPs that last a long time and are more complex---i've been crying for a deep high fantasy one for a while now lmao---but those have a higher chance of dying, and that's so disappointing and frustrating when that happens, which is indeed a turn off. There are a few that somehow manage to hang in for exorbitant amounts of time despite the odds (looking at you, Pokemon Odyssey. I see y'all still writing joint posts and whatnot even after months of hiatus every so often. That's dedication), but those tend to be exceptions to the rule, unfortunately

I would come back if I were to get over my anxiety and insecurities. I always put myself down when it comes to my writing. I end up deleting a lot of posts I spend forever just writing because my brain just goes "This is trash coming from a trash writer," and that's only if I end up finishing and submitting an SU I feel proud of.

for him. said:

I would come back if I were to get over my anxiety and insecurities. I always put myself down when it comes to my writing. I end up deleting a lot of posts I spend forever just writing because my brain just goes "This is trash coming from a trash write," and that's only if I end up finishing and submitting an SU I feel proud of.

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I hope what could fix that is entering a RP with people you think seem nice, so you can feel comfortable and realize that we like to help each other improve instead of judging harshly :) plus, RP friends is the best thing.


I will come back to RPing when my work life calms down in a couple of weeks so I have time and energy to write non-scientific stuff again... ;;

I think I agree a little with everyone here. A game that really speaks to me, just a little more time to play, a group that posts often enough that the game doesn't stall, but not so often that I fall behind if I can't get on for a day, and the sense that my posts are good reads and not just something subpar that others only tolerate.

...kind of a tall order, isn't it?

I guess... what would get me back into RPing is to just try. I just need an opportunity.

Honestly, a superhero RP with a nice solid setting and interesting plot (aka not sandbox or loosely mission based) would get me back in instantly. I'm not entirely sure of myself GMing something like that, but I am tossing around ideas rn for RPs and trying to choose one to stick with. Might end up being a superhero one buuuut. Hmm.