Advice/Help 1x1 romance - why?

[grimmmy]

Curious to do some 1x1 stuff, I feel like it has a higher turnover? I’m reluctant cause a lot of it is shipping and romance stuff... I don’t really get the appeal, so to those that do it, why do you RP pairings? What’s your advice for RPing romance?

I can look for ads for plot-driven RPs, but I don’t want to discount what makes up the majority.

 

[nondescriptname655433788]

I don't really look for romance in particular very much, but it tends to frequently be a theme in 1x1s, I will admit. I think it's because it's easier to get attached as you're able to interact directly with the other's characters that they worked hard on. Plus it's fun to see your OCs navigate through awkward situations, romantic ones included.

If you really are not interested in romance, though, you should state that clearly and defend your boundaries. Your wishes should be respected and it's no good for you or the other person if you're uncomfortable with the subject matter. I promise there are a lot of people who RP non-romantic stuff 1x1. If you're willing and actually want to try the romance genre out, I think engaging in slowburns would better suit your wishes. Seeing the relationships between characters evolve from enemies to friends to whatever else is fascinating and keeps romance secondary in a way.

 

[nerdy tangents]

So as a platonic 1x1 role player I recommend making use of the platonic filter. If you need help figuring it out just send me a PM and I will walk you through it.

There is a fair number of people who do platonic role plays (either exclusively or in addition to romance).

In addition I would look for slow burn romance (as often times people are fine starting out with a platonic relationship and then let romance build between organically between characters).

 

[Idea]

I’ll begin by presuming you mean specifically romantic pairings rather than pairings in general as not every “something x something” necessarily implies romance- it can very much imply just one player playing a certain category of character while the other plays the other. Pairings of that nature are simply one player saying they are interested in playing a certain set of characters together with another or a kind of character dynamic. For instance “mentor x student” may just mean the player wants there to be a mentor-student dynamic between the characters, as opposed to wanting to ship them romantically.

Now, as for the reason romance is so prevalent in 1x1, I can think of four reasons:
1. It’s Easy: While definitely hard to master, romance comes very naturally to a lot of people. Sometimes its because the person associates two characters growing closer together as romance, other times because its an easy plot point to connect two otherwise unrelated characters. Part of this ease of association probably stems from the kind of media we consume, which also defaults to using romance a lot, to the point where two characters that barely know each other may end up together by virtue of being the two main characters alone. Another part is that there is an inherent set of character and emotional stakes and dynamics which the genre focuses on. Instead of dividing plot and characters they are one and the same, which makes it easier to manage.

2. It Fits Everywhere: Any setting can take in romance. Almost any plot can take in romance. This does necessarily mean they can take it in well, but it can fit in there. That can significantly boost the presence of romance, as it is simple to mix it in with people's other interests, while reducing the number of those interests that do not have romance attached- after all, why only have one thing you're interested in when you can have both?

3.Shipping: Fandoms are one of the main avenues through which people get into the world of roleplay. Unsurprisingly then, there are plenty of people who bring their own "ships" into roleplay. Much like fanfiction is full of ships, a similar type of person coming into roleplay will bring ships. I won't say I know what the appeal is here exactly, heck I don't even roleplay cannon characters in fandoms.

4. People just like it: The final reason is that, well, people just like romance. A lot of people like romance. And the more people like romance, the more it is reinforced as something that is popular, which makes people advertise it more in hopes of getting partners from that crowd.


Those are just my quick thoughts on the matter though. Its obviously way more complex a thing than I could hope to cover in a single post, even if I really truly knew the answer. However, hopefully these speculations will help bring some clarity to the matter nonetheless.

Best of luck and happy RPing!

 

[AnnJam]

Because I like stories centered around the emotional connection two characters have for each other. Along with the trails, tribulations and struggles the characters go through throughout the telling of their story that test the bounds of their love.

Example the last long term romance RP I did was a space opera where the main couple were separated for most of the RP (an RP that spanned 3 RL years of writing). Struggling to cope with their pasts, their emotions, and come to realize and value the love they have for each other . . . all the while an Empire sweeps across the system, lead by a man wronged in the past directly and indirectly by the main couple in some capacity and is driven by a deep desire for vengeance against the people who committed genocide on his world.

I mean it isn't that complicated honestly. Go read a romance novel and understand the genre isn't that shallow and insipid. There is a reason its the #1 genre in the RP world. Sometimes people enjoy stories MORE when those stories are told from the perspective of a loving, passionate, emotional connection of two characters.

 

[Shy2Infinity]

Because I like stories centered around the emotional connection two characters have for each other. Along with the trails, tribulations and struggles the characters go through throughout the telling of their story that test the bounds of their love.

Example the last long term romance RP I did was a space opera where the main couple were separated for most of the RP (an RP that spanned 3 RL years of writing). Struggling to cope with their pasts, their emotions, and come to realize and value the love they have for each other . . . all the while an Empire sweeps across the system, lead by a man wronged in the past directly and indirectly by the main couple in some capacity and is driven by a deep desire for vengeance against the people who committed genocide on his world.

I mean it isn't that complicated honestly. Go read a romance novel and understand the genre isn't that shallow and insipid. There is a reason its the #1 genre in the RP world. Sometimes people enjoy stories MORE when those stories are told from the perspective of a loving, passionate, emotional connection of two characters.

This is pretty much the exact reason why I love shipping. I don't really care for romance if it's just romance on its own. But I'm of the opinion that supernatural or fantasy or adventure with that added spice of hard fought romance is the bees knees. I also just really enjoy chemistry. Two characters that were enemies at first slowly becoming reluctant allies - tentative friends - besties that would kill over each other - to lovers? That's great. Best friends to lovers is perfect. Really, so long as you can tell that the characters like each other and are there for each other and bring out the best in each other. I just like slowburn in general. Though fast burn can work You just run the risk of moving too fast and making it awkward.

I'll also take the opportunity to tell the OP that if they don't want to rp romance, then they don't have to. No one should rp something they're not into just to meet the 'demand'.

 

[grimmmy]

Honestly, I don’t think you can describe the appeal of... a genre, a subject, whatever you would call “RP romance,” in objective terms. So that was a poor way of framing the question on my part.

It’s a fair point that I don’t “have to” RP romance, but I already stated that I wasn’t discounting it. I wanted to know more about what I could do to be more receptive.

Past tense because I’m gonna swerve 1x1 RP. Just from browsing around, whatever the RP’s about, it seems really “intimate” which isn’t what I want... But if anyone has advice or tips for approaching a romantic arc, in case it crops up in a group RP, feel free to share.

 

[Jannah]

People like the emotional connections and occasional drama that can come from romance. That being said, though, plenty do platonic pairings as well. I personally do romantic or platonic.

 

[Idea]

Honestly, I don’t think you can describe the appeal of... a genre, a subject, whatever you would call “RP romance,” in objective terms. So that was a poor way of framing the question on my part.

It’s a fair point that I don’t “have to” RP romance, but I already stated that I wasn’t discounting it. I wanted to know more about what I could do to be more receptive.

Past tense because I’m gonna swerve 1x1 RP. Just from browsing around, whatever the RP’s about, it seems really “intimate” which isn’t what I want... But if anyone has advice or tips for approaching a romantic arc, in case it crops up in a group RP, feel free to share.

What do you mean by "intimate"? Cause if you mean smut, I can assure it's not. It's quite literally against the site's rules.

 

[AnnJam]

it seems really “intimate” which isn’t what I want

Then don't do it. There are no tips for getting you to like or do something in an RP you don't want to do. The tip is don't make a good experience shitty by doing something you don't want to. Don't waste your time or your groups time allowing romance to happen (to your character) unless you want to invest in it, otherwise you and whoever is expecting romance from your character are going to have a disappointing time.

 

[grimmmy]

But if anyone has advice or tips for approaching a romantic arc, in case it crops up in a group RP, feel free to share.

Restating this ^

 

[Crayons]

Restating this ^

I'd probably take the romantic bits to a separate thread so your characters can bond without derailing the plot or having too many PSAs.