Advice/Help Advice on creating a good interest check?

[KokichiLove]

My roleplays don't seem to be kicking off very well. I wonder if it's my interest checks. Any advice to make them, well, interesting?

I'm currently planning a new RP and I want to do it right this time.

 

[NeonFlow]

I find mine to be hit and miss each time. It depends on the idea of the rp you are advertising. A decent title that will stick in the players mind, decent spelling and brief explanation of what’s going on in this world you’ve created.

Some people write a massive wall of introductions, factions, rules and ideas which can work well to (especially for those who like to write heaps. It may scare off the more casual sort)

My main advice is advertise what you want to write about and write with people who want something similar.

 

[Collidias Rex]

Mandatory "I can only speak for personal preference" but:

1: Proper spelling and grammar is nice, but above all: always always always spell-check your title. I won't even click on a roleplay with a typo in the title. The title is what a potential player sees first - it's the face, it's the core of your 'branding'. A typo in your title suggests that you really don't care about your roleplay. It's messy.

2: Sell your roleplay idea, of course. Think of it like a pyramid, small at the top and broad at the bottom. The first paragraph of your interest check should be a simple and relatively short. Really focus on the core parts of the setting. Is your setting about cyborg magical girls fighting against an army of mecha created by the demon lord Abzo- NO! Stop right there. Cyborg magical girls. That's your core. How do I know that's your core? Because that's what the player characters are. The core of a roleplay is the role of your players. Paragraph one - focus on 'being a cyborg magical girl'. Make it concise but evocative. Think about what part of cyborg magical girls really appeals to you, and sell that in your opening. Paragraph two, elaborate on the first paragraph a bit - introduce the group your cyborg magical girls work for, and mention how they're fighting the demon lord Abzoroth. Third paragraph, elaborate again on the above, explaining it all in greater detail. Start small, and elaborate with additional paragraphs.

3: Lay out some basic rules. Some people like lots of rules, some people don't - but at least establish some ground rules.

4: At the end of the day, remember this: a good interest check isn't about getting lots of players. It's about recruiting the kinds of players you want to play with. Lay out what kind of people you want to play with. It's okay to have certain standards, it's also okay to accept all kinds of people, it's okay to pick and choose and exclude applicants - it's your roleplay, and you want to find people you can play well with.

 

[Idea]

Tutorial - Principles of A Good Interest Check

There have been some recent waves of threads in the roleplay discussion section pertaining to a frequent issue, the lack of attention that some interest checks get. Most often these threads regard an interest check from the person who posted the roleplay discussion thread, where they wonder or...

www.rpnation.com

Well, I’ve pretty much laid out my thoughts on this matter on that link. I mostly agree with Collidias Rex , though as you will see in the link I have a few more things I’d like to add. I do also disagree on the topic of needing to think about the role as the center. While I do believe a “core” is something one should focus on, this “core” of the idea will not necessarily be the roles the characters will take, as things like aspects of the setting or a specific gimmick of the roleplay can be a selling point as well.

 

[NeonFlow]

I dunno, why would cyborgs be modelled after magical girls?
And why would magical girls ever be cyborgs? They have magic
1/10 stars, never coming to eat here again.

 

[peritwinkle]

Here are my own tips for starting out a RP that will hopefully last:

• Sieve your ideas. Pick apart the good ideas from the bad by asking yourself if the plot you have in mind has the potential to extend into a proper story. Some ideas might sound interesting, but offer a limited amount of directions for the story to take. Keep in mind that setting =/= plot. ‘A world where people can turn into birds’ might not be enough to write an entire story around. Give your potential partner something more meaty to work with, such as an event with considerable consequences that has some room for interpretation (a doomed kingdom at war, a journey to find a lost trinket, etc.). ‘People turning into birds’ should only be a characteristic of your universe where the story takes place.

To add to this, a helpful ‘tool’ for initial brainstorming is asking yourself the ‘W’ questions - where, why, how? Where does my story take place? Why can people turn into birds out of a sudden? How did it happen?

• Structure your search thread. Cramming everything into one paragraph can be distracting and difficult to read. Instead, consider separating the essentials into different paragraphs, such as Introduction, Rules, Preferences. This way, the reader will have an easier time picking out the elements that interest them instead of digging through a block of text to find whether you are compatible or not.

• Spell check your thread. This includes crossing out text speech and unnecessary abbreviations. A thred that looks liek dis kinda turns ppl away idk. Threads are, in a way, similar to a job interview - you want to sell your ideas and draw partners in. Text speech and a lot of grammar mistakes can come off as lack of interest and/or effort.

• Mind your tone. Skimming through the forums I have noticed that many run as far away as possible from threads titled like “I’m bored” or where the poster’s attitude seems rude, disinterested and/or condescending, and I could not agree more. Your ST should radiate excitement and eagerness to start something new!

 

[NeonFlow]

But if I don't sound rude disinterested or condescending how will people be able to determine I'm a handsome successful individual who secretly longs for death?

 

[Becker]

But if I don't sound rude disinterested or condescending how will people be able to determine I'm a handsome successful individual who secretly longs for death?

I think I may have found my Sibling

 

[NeonFlow]

I think I may have found my Sibling

120 bucks up front, plus a extra 50 for freaky stuff like sibling play.

There's a reason I'm successful and long for death.

 

[Fable]

KokichiLove
There isn't a tried and true formula regarding an interest check formula that will be a certainty to bring in interested players. Everyone looks for something different and there are so many variables and sometimes even just something minor that doesn't even have to do with the roleplay idea could deter someone.

Mobile Matters

This seems odd, but it's something important to remember should you opt to use BBCode. Try to use a code that is mobile friendly or offer a little snippet somewhere for mobile users to read. Many mobile users can be put off if they can't read the interest check because they worry the trend will continue into the rp itself.​

The KISS Rule / Organization / Formatting

'Keep it simple stupid' rule works well. Think of how movies are given a small paragraph summary about the basic plot on sites like IMDB. As already mentioned by others, too much information at the start can be overwhelming. Stick to the most simple information for what you are pitching. You can offer all the expanded information in OOC threads for your worldbuilding, rules, etc.

Too much information at one time can cause confusion or even frustration if it's not organized well. For example, a wall of text that has no obvious paragraphs. You don't even really need BBCode to make a interest check aesthetically pleasing if you can present the information neatly with just text.​

Niche or Not?

Is your idea/plot/concept fairly niche or obscure? It's more difficult to find interest for things that don't fit the normal mold of themes, plots, or concepts that are generally used. I've seen many get upset when their ideas don't bring in any interest because of how niche their roleplay is. This means there is a much smaller pool of possibly interested users. An example would be an older anime that not many are familiar with versus a more mainstream popular anime based roleplay. The more known anime will get more interest from potential players.​

If at first you don't succeed...

Just keep trying. Post your interest check and have patience. Patience is a big key because eventually you may find someone who wants to join, but because there are so many offerings for what people can join it can take time.​

 

[NeonFlow]

But what if our brains are set to explode if they don't reach a minimum amount of creativity a hour? Dozens die each year due to patience.