Roleplay Pet Peeves

[jinkx]

I mind when EVERY character in the roleplay has a tragic backstory /:

 

[Xenoxx]

One thing that I also think kills an RP is people wanting to stay in the same place, or the creator inventing some reason to go back to a place we've been to before. I understand the kind of events most of them are trying to pull off by doing this, but when it happens they can no longer find a way to move the story forward. And even when they do, the process of playing that out might be so tedious that it turns some people off.


Alot of them do this because they've been in a single place for too long and they need somewhere to go, but that's not really the problem. The problem they're trying to solve is a story that's been driven into a corner somehow (A starvation of development or creativity), and backtracking, unless you fix those problems in the process, can't fix those problems. Like, imagine grinding to a point in a video game where you think you finally got to the good part after so long, but no, you have do go back for god-knows-why, and even after you do that, GET ALL THE WAY BACK TO WHERE YOU WERE! It's like a bullet to the brain for an RP.

 

[call me rae]

One thing that I also think kills an RP is people wanting to stay in the same place, or the creator inventing some reason to go back to a place we've been to before. I understand the kind of events most of them are trying to pull off by doing this, but when it happens they can no longer find a way to move the story forward. And even when they do, the process of playing that out might be so tedious that it turns some people off.


Alot of them do this because they've been in a single place for too long and they need somewhere to go, but that's not really the problem. The problem they're trying to solve is a story that's been driven into a corner somehow (A starvation of development or creativity), and backtracking, unless you fix those problems in the process, can't fix those problems. Like, imagine grinding to a point in a video game where you think you finally got to the good part after so long, but no, you have do go back for god-knows-why, and even after you do that, GET ALL THE WAY BACK TO WHERE YOU WERE! It's like a bullet to the brain for an RP.

Yeah I think the issue is lack of follow through w/ GM. It's hard to progress a story and not enough people know going into it that storytelling is a pretty key function of GMing.


Me I am more forgiving of that than the flip side which is literally having an entire story pre-plotted out where people are asked to take on already established roles with already established relationships, etc.


like why would anyone bother writing someone else's story for them?

 

[Muffinboi]

People who post their 1x1 roleplays in the group roleplaying section. It makes me wanna go into the thread and correct them.

 

[Xenoxx]

Yeah I think the issue is lack of follow through w/ GM. It's hard to progress a story and not enough people know going into it that storytelling is a pretty key function of GMing.


Me I am more forgiving of that than the flip side which is literally having an entire story pre-plotted out where people are asked to take on already established roles with already established relationships, etc.


like why would anyone bother writing someone else's story for them?

That sounds like hell, I'm glad I didn't have to deal with that, and I completely agree with you on that issue.

People who post their 1x1 roleplays in the group roleplaying section. It makes me wanna go into the thread and correct them.

You could probably do that....politely? I mean you could get super salty about it, but that's a double edged sword. It's like being a grammar nazi, it only makes you look more like a hypocrite/idiot when you mess up. But yeah, people not organizing things correctly is a huge pet peeve for some people, and messing up like that only creates more confusion; either way someone is going to correct them if you don't.

 

[CalamariDaddy]

I mind when EVERY character in the roleplay has a tragic backstory /:

Yeah for real. Sometimes I just wanna type in the history section: His parents love him, ok. Not 'loved' because they're still alive and this isn't an orphanage RP.

 

[Blaire Wisteria]

>no such thing as a GMPC

I'll respect your opinion, but I'm sorry, that's total bullshit.

Anyway.

I hate it when people use pre-made characters for stuff. Okay, I get it, you like your super-special snowflake guy you made once, but I do my damnedest to make characters that fit the story, and I don't try and force my character to fit in someone else's story. It's like a square peg and a round hole, and it pisses me off. I use archetypes, sure, but they're so generalized and easily re-molded, and I make sure of that. I have a tendency to make curious, stupid, or super-anal and aggressive dudes in general, and sure, most of my PC's would probably lose their shit when confronted by spooky skeletons or some gummy bears, but they're not all total clones from eachother.

The last two RP's I participated in, I played a well-intentioned southern-fried-private with an auto-flagellation fetish, and a hyper-genius engineering lady with a drug addiction due to sheer boredom who basically gained a JJBA stand based on her vices of manipulative tendencies and sloth.

You, you're cool. You know what's up.

 

[sakigamis]

Ok another thing. 


So I don't mind if a character has a tragic backstory. I do mind when such a tragic backstory seems to have absolutely no effect on the character. How are they still happy and upbeat when they saw their parents get murdered in front of them? How are they still completely open to relationships after years of abuse?  How does this dude not have some form of PTSD, depression, anxiety, or anything of the sort of after going what they went through?


Honestly, it's kind of a dig in the ribs when you see dudes like that because I personally have a character with the Tragic Background™ but I put so much research into the after effects and impact that his backstory would have on him at the present. Like weeks of research, months of development, and a lot of emotional projection (shush, my characters are totally not coping mechanisms, no they're not)

There are a couple ways you can make this work. Characters who hide their issues with false cheerfulness, characters who do their best to remain positive no matter what, a blend of those two.... If you do the research and present it properly you could also have it so they've repressed their traumatic memories. Of course, if there's never any hint of any of this, I can see how that would be irritating.

 

[CalamariDaddy]

There are a couple ways you can make this work. Characters who hide their issues with false cheerfulness, characters who do their best to remain positive no matter what, a blend of those two.... If you do the research and present it properly you could also have it so they've repressed their traumatic memories. Of course, if there's never any hint of any of this, I can see how that would be irritating.

I get those scenarios, but I've seen people who have had their characters be genuinely happy instead of having the happiness as a front and showing no indication of cracking.

 

[Xenoxx]

I get those scenarios, but I've seen people who have had their characters be genuinely happy instead of having the happiness as a front and showing no indication of cracking.

Hey, I had a character whose house actually got burned down with his parents inside. He functioned almost normally, but here's how I made it work-


- Literally a voice in his head that he thinks is his dad, telling him to give more worth to his life.


- No self preservation instinct AT ALL, naivety to the Nth power, and not only that but, he abandons other people regularly in a way that's barely noticeable till it counts, I.e Never helping people with work, or projects to Actually LEAVING SOMEONE TO DIE!

 

[jinkx]

You could make your character happy, as long as they later break down because of a trigger and admit their insecurities. In my opinion, the character could have moved on if the event was a long time ago by subconsciously repressing their memories without even realising. For example, if they were in a car crash five years ago, they might act fine. But one day, they see a car that reminds them of the one involved in the crash (the same type or similar) and suddenly break down. 


But I do agree that there's no way a character would just move on from such an event COMPLETELY and be happy all the time. Unless they experienced some kind of retrograde amnesia and couldn't remember the event at all, there should be deep scars left in a character if something traumatising happens to them. Even after accepting what has happened and moving on, they should still look back on the event as an awful part of their life. 

 

[CalamariDaddy]

You could make your character happy, as long as they later break down because of a trigger and admit their insecurities. In my opinion, the character could have moved on if the event was a long time ago by subconsciously repressing their memories without even realising. For example, if they were in a car crash five years ago, they might act fine. But one day, they see a car that reminds them of the one involved in the crash (the same type or similar) and suddenly break down. 


But I do agree that there's no way a character would just move on from such an event COMPLETELY and be happy all the time. Unless they experienced some kind of retrograde amnesia and couldn't remember the event at all, there should be deep scars left in a character if something traumatising happens to them. Even after accepting what has happened and moving on, they should still look back on the event as an awful part of their life. 

This, exactly. And sometimes flashbacks can happen over seemingly nothing (in my experience). Like sure, trauma survivors can "act normal" most of the time, get help, manage their symptoms, but something can always flip a switch even years later.

 

[Xenoxx]

Now, on the topic of characters; Personality Changes, most definitely the unexpected ones. I rarely see any characters with split personalities, but commonly I see people wh have a certain personality on a CS, but roleplay a completely different one on the thread.


So I kinda wanna hear your experiences with this kind of inconsistency.

 

[Muffinboi]

Now, on the topic of characters; Personality Changes, most definitely the unexpected ones. I rarely see any characters with split personalities, but commonly I see people wh have a certain personality on a CS, but roleplay a completely different one on the thread.


So I kinda wanna hear your experiences with this kind of inconsistency.

This is why I don't like putting in my character's personality on my CS.

 

[CalamariDaddy]

Ahh I just suddenly remembered one time on this site, I joined a cliche vampire school RP because why not. Now from the get go it was obvious that the thread was one of those threads where it's kind of like a 1x1 RP extended to other people but it's obvious the creator intended to interact mainly with one other person. That peeves me, sure, but what pissed me off more was this one guy with a German character.


Ooh, German vampire, sehr schauerlich! Well. It was clear this guy only had German for the Edge Factor™.


And my lord, the broken German has stuck in my mind, haunting me. The words "Meine Meister". They hurt. Why would you refer to your lord as a professional of something with the wrong pronoun? 


Like for fuck's sake, you go through the trouble of making a character and can't do a simple Google search on how to say "my lord" in German.


And this extends beyond German, obviously. People making their characters from some country different than their own for the purpose of making them seem cooler or more exotic, in a sense. And what's worse is if they butcher the language or culture associated with whatever nationality they picked for their dude, it's pure laziness and kind of derogatory.


In my honest opinion, the only reason you should have for making a character a certainty nationality is "why not?"

 

[Xenoxx]

Ahh I just suddenly remembered one time on this site, I joined a cliche vampire school RP because why not. Now from the get go it was obvious that the thread was one of those threads where it's kind of like a 1x1 RP extended to other people but it's obvious the creator intended to interact mainly with one other person. That peeves me, sure, but what pissed me off more was this one guy with a German character.


Ooh, German vampire, sehr schauerlich! Well. It was clear this guy only had German for the Edge Factor™.


And my lord, the broken German has stuck in my mind, haunting me. The words "Meine Meister". They hurt. Why would you refer to your lord as a professional of something with the wrong pronoun? 


Like for fuck's sake, you go through the trouble of making a character and can't do a simple Google search on how to say "my lord" in German.


And this extends beyond German, obviously. People making their characters from some country different than their own for the purpose of making them seem cooler or more exotic, in a sense. And what's worse is if they butcher the language or culture associated with whatever nationality they picked for their dude, it's pure laziness and kind of derogatory.


In my honest opinion, the only reason you should have for making a character a certainty nationality is "why not?"

I specifically made a character who learned Italian, but, I said it was bad Italian. So, when I butchered the language later, everyone wasn't confused, they completely expected it! So my rule is to design a character around your own weaknesses, as well as your characters.

 

[call me rae]

Now, on the topic of characters; Personality Changes, most definitely the unexpected ones. I rarely see any characters with split personalities, but commonly I see people wh have a certain personality on a CS, but roleplay a completely different one on the thread.


So I kinda wanna hear your experiences with this kind of inconsistency.

Well I see this as one of three things


A. The roleplay moves in such a way as the characters personality changes with circumstance


B. The person wants to keep their character in the center of attention and realizes the original personality doesn't fit that goal. This is more when people try to make their characters XXX extreme personality type or THE MOST XXX random trait and realize they don't actually know how to portray that in a way that forces others to behave a specific way.


C. -what happens to me- I try to make a new personality type only to fail miserably at portraying it so my characters tend to move from whatever new archetype I'm trying into more familiar territory. This isn't so much inconsistent as in they change personalities but more theyre never quite portrayed according to what I wrote in the CS.


It's why in 1x1s I don't bother with personality in the CS unless someone else requests it. I start off with pretty basic ideas and then just build on it as the story goes on. As otherwise I put myself in a corner as either the archetype is something I struggle with or the story moves in a way that the personality adapts anyway.

 

[Umbrie]

it would only take 2 minutes to copy paste a short phrase into google translate. i generally don't use real world languages for Good Reason, or i use Google Translate than put the Real Intended Translation Beneath a Spoiler. i know i'm not a linguist, but i'm not going to intentionally butcher a language for edge factor unless the character honestly has a poor understanding of that language. and if a character can speak something resembling American English. i will use that. i also hate in Mage RPs when characters are Expected to literally copy paste multiple incantations or prayers at a Paragraph or more Apiece. i mean, a cool incantation is cool the first time or few that you use it, but please, don't try to shoehorn the incantation every time you cast that spell as stock filler.

 

[Windsock]

You, you're cool. You know what's up.

thanks homie I try

 

[Bone2pick]

there is no such thing as a GMPC. i understand what the term is used to reference, but i prefer to call them the Tagalong NPC. Tagalong NPCs aren't bad on their own, the issue is when they are built to be of equal to or better spotlight than the player characters the GM is running the game for. the Best Tagalong NPCs are Henchmen, Hirelings and Servants, which are best played by the player whose payroll they happen to be a part of.

GMPC is a real thing. You may not appreciate it but it is.  And NPC has nothing to do with it, a GMPC is designed to share an equal portion of the RP story/spotlight with the rest of the players. This arrangement is usually (should be) explained upfront in the interest check so everyone is clear about what they're getting into.

 

[Umbrie]

GMPC is a real thing. You may not appreciate it but it is.  And NPC has nothing to do with it, a GMPC is designed to share an equal portion of the RP story/spotlight with the rest of the players. This arrangement is usually (should be) explained upfront in the interest check so everyone is clear about what they're getting into.

a GMPC is just an NPC that demands equal Spotlight to the PCs, is Built using an Identical process to a PC, Fills a Vital Party Role like a PC, and is Deluded into Thinking they are a PC, but in all reality, they were an NPC Designed by the DM who was deluded into thinking they needed a PC of their own when they already have control of every other NPC out there and would be better off Running a Hireling or Henchman to a PC that has control over Said NPC in combat. meaning i Allow PCs to control their own Henchmen and hired hirelings. but they have to fund each hireling or henchmen they use out of their own funds somehow.

 

[call me rae]

a GMPC is just an NPC that demands equal Spotlight to the PCs, is Built using an Identical process to a PC, Fills a Vital Party Role like a PC, and is Deluded into Thinking they are a PC, but in all reality, they were an NPC Designed by the DM who was deluded into thinking they needed a PC of their own when they already have control of every other NPC out there and would be better off Running a Hireling or Henchman to a PC that has control over Said NPC in combat. meaning i Allow PCs to control their own Henchmen and hired hirelings. but they have to fund each hireling or henchmen they use out of their own funds somehow.

I think the issue was that different people use different terms to describe things. As I understand it everyone is describing literally the exact same thing.


A playable character created by the GM that was introduced to the players as an NPC but preforms the same functions as a playable character.


It's one of the many problems with roleplaying with people who like to make up their own terms for things and then get snippy when you disagree with them. I had a partner like that, a swell person but I can not roleplay with them. They pretty much act like their way of doing things, their way of describing things, their terms for roleplaying, etc. is the only correct way and if someone uses a term differently or disagrees with them on a particular topic they pretty much brow-beat that person into submission with long rambly posts that can be summed up as "I'm right your wrong."


Like they aren't bad people they just have to be right and it gets exhausting over the course of a roleplay session.

 

[Umbrie]

I think the issue was that different people use different terms to describe things. As I understand it everyone is describing literally the exact same thing.


A playable character created by the GM that was introduced to the players as an NPC but preforms the same functions as a playable character.


It's one of the many problems with roleplaying with people who like to make up their own terms for things and then get snippy when you disagree with them. I had a partner like that, a swell person but I can not roleplay with them. They pretty much act like their way of doing things, their way of describing things, their terms for roleplaying, etc. is the only correct way and if someone uses a term differently or disagrees with them on a particular topic they pretty much brow-beat that person into submission with long rambly posts that can be summed up as "I'm right your wrong."


Like they aren't bad people they just have to be right and it gets exhausting over the course of a roleplay session.

i understand that GMPC is a Popular Term, but i personally prefer to use Tagalong NPC. which is usually a less Spotlight Hogging NPC that fills the Same Role. i call GMPCs Tagalong NPCs but i don't call them Decently Designed Tagalong NPCs. the Best Tagalong NPC is one who has minimal spotlight, is able to be influenced by the actions of the players that demand their services, has their own goals and reasons for tagging along, and is neither excessively stronger than the party to the point of stealing the show nor excessively weaker than the party to the point of being helpless.


Gandalf is an Example of a Badly Designed Tagalong NPC. but there aren't many examples of a decently designed one. what Generally Separates a GMPC from a Tagalong NPC, is while they both Tag Along the Party and Fill an Important Niche, the Tagalong NPC is controlled by the Party of PCs instead of trying to Control the Party of PCs and follows orders instead of giving them, while a Badly Designed GMPC is the reverse of these, the GMPC is the Worst Kind of NPC out there. not that i don't mind players recruiting NPC companions among their roster. but i sure as heck don't want the GM forcing their Pet NPC on their group of players.

 

[call me rae]

i understand that GMPC is a Popular Term, but i personally prefer to use Tagalong NPC. which is usually a less Spotlight Hogging NPC that fills the Same Role. i call GMPCs Tagalong NPCs but i don't call them Decently Designed Tagalong NPCs. the Best Tagalong NPC is one who has minimal spotlight, is able to be influenced by the actions of the players that demand their services, has their own goals and reasons for tagging along, and is neither excessively stronger than the party to the point of stealing the show nor excessively weaker than the party to the point of being helpless.


Gandalf is an Example of a Badly Designed Tagalong NPC. but there aren't many examples of a decently designed one. what Generally Separates a GMPC from a Tagalong NPC, is while they both Tag Along the Party and Fill an Important Niche, the Tagalong NPC is controlled by the Party of PCs instead of trying to Control the Party of PCs and follows orders instead of giving them, while a Badly Designed GMPC is the reverse of these,

And your missing the point you can use whatever term you want but that doesn't make you are inherently any more correct than anyone else. As long as the descriptions match up I could call something a Banded Wompersnap. It wouldn't matter.


No one was arguing with you about the concept you were peeved over, they were simply saying that insinuating that your term for it was better or more correct than theirs was a little presumptuous.

 

[Umbrie]

And your missing the point you can use whatever term you want but that doesn't make you are inherently any more correct than anyone else. As long as the descriptions match up I could call something a Banded Wompersnap. It wouldn't matter.


No one was arguing with you about the concept you were peeved over, they were simply saying that insinuating that your term for it was better or more correct than theirs was a little presumptuous.

Badly Designed Tagalong NPC and GMPC are the Exact Same Thing. i'm sorry if i sounded like i was insinuating my term was more correct. i don't mind Tagalong NPCs/GMPCs if they are built fairly and don't step on the toes of the other players. just like i would hate it, if i built a Nymph Rogue with amazing social skills, another player built a wood elf ranger with amazing tracking ability, and some third guy built a Drow Slayer who had both the social skills of the Nymph Rogue and the Tracking Ability of the Wood Elf Ranger while being better than both of them in combat and just as good at both of them at finding traps and thus made the former 2 PCs redundant.