Experiences Being in small fandoms sucks

[rae2nerdy]

I think that'll be pretty difficult for my fandom. And I do not want to do anything with OCs in this regard because I love the setting and canon characters too much to do so. And a lot of the details come from actually being having consumed the media of the fandom, if the person hasn't, they won't understand anything.
I definitely feel SOL right now..:/

Then as I said just get people excited to try out your fandom itself. honestly make a thread about the fandom itself and see who you get to respond.

But remember your goal is not to find people who already know the fandom but get people to engage in the fandom for the first time.

A good example is I am in the Harry Potter fandom (massive player base and audience) so I use that as a point of comparison to get people interested in my smaller fandom (I talk about the similarities, the things my smaller fandom did better, even where you can listen to the books for free)

Now all of that might not be something you can do, but maybe see if there is an established fandom with some points of similarity. (similiar plot lines, similar character types, or even just similar visuals)

Then start saying - hey if you like X check out Y.

 

[Crayons]

Then as I said just get people excited to try out your fandom itself. honestly make a thread about the fandom itself and see who you get to respond.

But remember your goal is not to find people who already know the fandom but get people to engage in the fandom for the first time.

A good example is I am in the Harry Potter fandom (massive player base and audience) so I use that as a point of comparison to get people interested in my smaller fandom (I talk about the similarities, the things my smaller fandom did better, even where you can listen to the books for free)

Now all of that might not be something you can do, but maybe see if there is an established fandom with some points of similarity. (similiar plot lines, similar character types, or even just similar visuals)

Then start saying - hey if you like X check out Y.

This is a bizarre and long way round of doing it but it could work over the period of months or years, but imo it's a bit like a single water drip hollowing out a cave.

Whenever I try to upsell fandoms people get freaked out and tell me to stop. XD

BTW everyone you can read Elfquest online FOR FREE. Come and see me when you're done.

 

[Onmyoji]

BTW everyone you can read Elfquest online FOR FREE. Come and see me when you're done.

I see Elf Quest
Where were you a few years ago lol

 

[rae2nerdy]

This is a bizarre and long way round of doing it but it could work over the period of months or years, but imo it's a bit like a single water drip hollowing out a cave.

Whenever I try to upsell fandoms people get freaked out and tell me to stop. XD

BTW everyone you can read Elfquest online FOR FREE. Come and see me when you're done.

I think it’s really the kind of people your talking to. My tiny fandom is linked to Potter fandom which is legion in numbers and super accepting in temperament. People often find similar stuff anyway just to fill the void the original series left. So they’re like oh you found this new thing for me to get into? Awesome! Here’s what I found that’s similar.

But I have noticed in the greater fandom they do seem to be more into joint networking than other similar fandoms. So it could just be something that is in itself niche to the fandoms I am in.

 

[Onmyoji]

There is actually a thing I noticed about small fandoms. When you DO find someone who is into it, they'll be as happy as you to hove found out someone else for that fandom. Easier time to start rp with them lol

 

[Crayons]

I see Elf Quest
Where were you a few years ago lol

YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING ME

Er, I was scrolling through RoleplayGateway finding nothing. XD
But I'd happily do an EQ rp anytime with OCs just hit me up.

 

[Kurotsuki]

I've been having a few problems trying to get people to rp in my fandoms (specifically Soul Eater). Ghosting, busy schedules, and time zone differences mostly. I keep bumping my threads and I have found a few people, but none of my rps so far have really satisfied that fandom craving. I have an oc I've put a lot of thought into and for some people, that seems to be the deal-breaker (they only want to rp with canon characters or they don't like my oc).
I'm just trying my best to be patient, and I'll hopefully find my perfect rp partner one day...

That being said, if anyone here wants to rp Soul Eater shoot me a pm lol

 

[Reid]

I've been having a few problems trying to get people to rp in my fandoms (specifically Soul Eater). Ghosting, busy schedules, and time zone differences mostly. I keep bumping my threads and I have found a few people, but none of my rps so far have really satisfied that fandom craving. I have an oc I've put a lot of thought into and for some people, that seems to be the deal-breaker (they only want to rp with canon characters or they don't like my oc).
I'm just trying my best to be patient, and I'll hopefully find my perfect rp partner one day...

That being said, if anyone here wants to rp Soul Eater shoot me a pm lol

That's so bizarre though. Soul Eater is one of those anime that most people when they got into anime have watched (along with things like vampire knight, black butler, Ouran Highschool Host club, or fruits basket lol) and I would expect it to have a rather good sized fandom.

 

[Kurotsuki]

That's so bizarre though. Soul Eater is one of those anime that most people when they got into anime have watched (along with things like vampire knight, black butler, Ouran Highschool Host club, or fruits basket lol) and I would expect it to have a rather good sized fandom.

It's a bit of a surprise to me as well. I'm certain there's plenty of fans out there, but I just haven't found a lot of them. It's the same thing with Madoka Magica, although I think our fandom is growing a bit again since the new anime's been released. Almost 10 years later it's really another branch of the fandom, but whatever

 

[Reid]

It's a bit of a surprise to me as well. I'm certain there's plenty of fans out there, but I just haven't found a lot of them. It's the same thing with Madoka Magica, although I think our fandom is growing a bit again since the new anime's been released. Almost 10 years later it's really another branch of the fandom, but whatever

Guess it's just one of those fandoms that people enjoy writing fanfiction, talking about it, making art, but the roleplay aspect is lacking possibly?

 

[Kurotsuki]

Guess it's just one of those fandoms that people enjoy writing fanfiction, talking about it, making art, but the roleplay aspect is lacking possibly?

You'd think there would be a lot more people trying to rp this, since the school aspect as well as the weapons/meisters pairing opens up a whole world of possibilities for ocs, self-inserts, AUs... At least, that's how I see it. (I have... 8 Soul Eater ocs in total. Jeez, that's a lot)

 

[Reid]

You'd think there would be a lot more people trying to rp this, since the school aspect as well as the weapons/meisters pairing opens up a whole world of possibilities for ocs, self-inserts, AUs... At least, that's how I see it. (I have... 8 Soul Eater ocs in total. Jeez, that's a lot)

Kid me would have loved that sort of thing. Yeah, I dunno that is strange.

 

[Redfork2000]

There's one way you could get people to roleplay something very similar to what you want without the limitations of the fandom itself. The idea would be to basically recreate everything in an original setting. Just take your favorite concepts of the fandom you like, and recreate it with a different name and different characters. Yes, it'll be something like a rip-off, but you get a few advantages from trying this:

1 - You have more control over the setting, and can change things you don't like about the original work. You can also introduce any headcanons you have for the canon characters, and use them as part of your new setting. You can introduce OCs seemlessly as well, as they'll blend in much better with the other characters.

2 - You can catch the interest of many more people, regardless of whether they know your fandom or not. Fandom roleplays pretty much demand that both parties know at least a bit about the fandom they're roleplaying, but re-writing it as a new setting based on a fandom gives you a lot more freedom to be creative, and is much more approachable for people who don't know anything about your fandom.

3 - If you find someone who really loves your setting and concept, you can tell them you based it off something you really like, and use that as a way to introduce them into your fandom.

For example, some time ago I started this group roleplay that's mostly based and strongly inspired in Harvest Moon. Anyone who has played Harvest Moon games before will see the similarities, but by not making it about Harvest Moon, but rather inspired by Harvest Moon, I managed to get into my group roleplay several users who've never played a Harvest Moon game in their life. Eventually some of them even researched a bit about Harvest Moon just to use more things from the source material.

I think doing this is alright as long as you don't try to advertise it as something you made up yourself. Because if you do, people will find out that it's a copy of something else, and well... you'll be seen as a liar. Best to be honest about it from the start. But it's a possible tactic if you do it right, and it can serve double purpose, as it gives you something very similar to your own fandom that you can roleplay right away, and it has the potential to serve as a gateway to let other people get more interested in your fandom.

Just putting my two cents into the conversation. It can come off as a poorly made rip-off if not done correctly, but if you do your work right, it can work very well.

 

[Idea]

If I know I'm about to engage with a niche fandom, my go-to solution is to attempt to rip it off. Of course, still leave the fandom up just in case, but otherwise, I recommend attempt to create an original roleplay based on the fandom you want, but without being tied to it's world, characters or story specifically (albeit near carbon copies are permissable). This way you can remove the need for the other person to also be a fan of the fandom in question, while still potentially letting you have the core of what you liked about the fandom.

While I was typing this I noticed Redfork2000 went and posted a great post basically with the exact same recommendation and now I'm embarassed. Dang it. Still, great job pal!

Anyways, hope this helps and happy roleplaying!

 

[Redfork2000]

If I know I'm about to engage with a niche fandom, my go-to solution is to attempt to rip it off. Of course, still leave the fandom up just in case, but otherwise, I recommend attempt to create an original roleplay based on the fandom you want, but without being tied to it's world, characters or story specifically (albeit near carbon copies are permissable). This way you can remove the need for the other person to also be a fan of the fandom in question, while still potentially letting you have the core of what you liked about the fandom.

While I was typing this I noticed Redfork2000 went and posted a great post basically with the exact same recommendation and now I'm embarassed. Dang it. Still, great job pal!

Anyways, hope this helps and happy roleplaying!

To be honest the first time I heard of this idea was when you explained it in another thread, so you definitely deserve the credit for it. It's really a suggestion that really worked for me a lot, so thanks for being the one to mention the idea first, inspiring me to give it a try for myself. It really is a good solution when trying to roleplay with a fandom not too many people are familiar with. It's what I did with my Harvest Moon inspired roleplay, and so far it's worked very well, as I got many users to join that really didn't have any prior experience with the games, but were interested in the premise and setting. Some even began investigating about the source material to introduce more things from it, such as the currency system and more.

Thanks for the idea, it's really helped a lot with trying new fandoms that aren't as well-known and widespread as some of the big fandoms like Harry Potter, Star Wars, etc. It really helped me, and I'm sure it can help others in their roleplays with lesser known fandoms. Have a great day!

 

[Idea]

To be honest the first time I heard of this idea was when you explained it in another thread, so you definitely deserve the credit for it. It's really a suggestion that really worked for me a lot, so thanks for being the one to mention the idea first, inspiring me to give it a try for myself. It really is a good solution when trying to roleplay with a fandom not too many people are familiar with. It's what I did with my Harvest Moon inspired roleplay, and so far it's worked very well, as I got many users to join that really didn't have any prior experience with the games, but were interested in the premise and setting. Some even began investigating about the source material to introduce more things from it, such as the currency system and more.

Thanks for the idea, it's really helped a lot with trying new fandoms that aren't as well-known and widespread as some of the big fandoms like Harry Potter, Star Wars, etc. It really helped me, and I'm sure it can help others in their roleplays with lesser known fandoms. Have a great day!

Oh wow, that's so nice of you to say! I'm glad my advice was able to help you

 

[Reid]

There's one way you could get people to roleplay something very similar to what you want without the limitations of the fandom itself. The idea would be to basically recreate everything in an original setting. Just take your favorite concepts of the fandom you like, and recreate it with a different name and different characters. Yes, it'll be something like a rip-off, but you get a few advantages from trying this:

1 - You have more control over the setting, and can change things you don't like about the original work. You can also introduce any headcanons you have for the canon characters, and use them as part of your new setting. You can introduce OCs seemlessly as well, as they'll blend in much better with the other characters.

2 - You can catch the interest of many more people, regardless of whether they know your fandom or not. Fandom roleplays pretty much demand that both parties know at least a bit about the fandom they're roleplaying, but re-writing it as a new setting based on a fandom gives you a lot more freedom to be creative, and is much more approachable for people who don't know anything about your fandom.

3 - If you find someone who really loves your setting and concept, you can tell them you based it off something you really like, and use that as a way to introduce them into your fandom.

For example, some time ago I started this group roleplay that's mostly based and strongly inspired in Harvest Moon. Anyone who has played Harvest Moon games before will see the similarities, but by not making it about Harvest Moon, but rather inspired by Harvest Moon, I managed to get into my group roleplay several users who've never played a Harvest Moon game in their life. Eventually some of them even researched a bit about Harvest Moon just to use more things from the source material.

I think doing this is alright as long as you don't try to advertise it as something you made up yourself. Because if you do, people will find out that it's a copy of something else, and well... you'll be seen as a liar. Best to be honest about it from the start. But it's a possible tactic if you do it right, and it can serve double purpose, as it gives you something very similar to your own fandom that you can roleplay right away, and it has the potential to serve as a gateway to let other people get more interested in your fandom.

Just putting my two cents into the conversation. It can come off as a poorly made rip-off if not done correctly, but if you do your work right, it can work very well.

My issue is that I can't... Like... Do that? Especially since I love the universe of my specific fandom too much and I would much prefer to have a roleplay involving specific characters from said media. I know and understand what you're trying to say, but I definitely wouldn't enjoy it as much.

 

[birdy]

i would have loved to rp guardians of gahoole (owls) but no one ever seemed to be in to that!

 

[Crow]

I wouldn't call a good handful of my fandoms small, because if they were small I wouldn't be searching for RPers, but they DEFINITELY have a very low affinity with roleplayers, and roleplayers who absolutely love them - they don't do fandom RPs.

See the comedy here?

 

[Leyus]

As a person in a handful of small and obscure fandoms (at least outside certain areas, which makes finding people to write with complicated), I have learned to settle on crossover rps. Actually, I think that they get a really bad rep because of people executing them badly, but, when done with care and genuine eagerness to see what comes out of different fandoms clashing, they can be a fun way to explore many things (including smaller fandoms) from many different sides. Obviously, in order for it to work you actually need to find people to write with that can do this sort of thing well... but, it's not like it's any different with any other rp.

 

[Laix_Lake]

As a person in a handful of small and obscure fandoms (at least outside certain areas, which makes finding people to write with complicated), I have learned to settle on crossover rps. Actually, I think that they get a really bad rep because of people executing them badly, but, when done with care and genuine eagerness to see what comes out of different fandoms clashing, they can be a fun way to explore many things (including smaller fandoms) from many different sides. Obviously, in order for it to work you actually need to find people to write with that can do this sort of thing well... but, it's not like it's any different with any other rp.

That's what I'm doing at the moment, currently playing as a dark souls 3 character in a group multiversal RP. It's somewhat annoying not being able to find that many examples of dark souls characters being played. Despite that, I am still enjoying myself regardless.

 

[Crow]

That's what I'm doing at the moment, currently playing as a dark souls 3 character in a group multiversal RP. It's somewhat annoying not being able to find that many examples of dark souls characters being played. Despite that, I am still enjoying myself regardless.

I knew a guy who loved his Dark Souls characters alongside some LoL characters. I loved his Siegward, very cheerful in the bleakness.

 

[Darklord95]

Because no one knows what the hell you're on about. The few people you pass by usually do not want to roleplay or they do but either they do not want to roleplay the plot you want to do or they completely butcher the characters.

I keep bumping my threads but no takers. It's honestly so discouraging. Why do I do this to myself? I swear to god it's like I have a self-harm wish haha. Everyone seems to only want to roleplay the same old thing, skyrim, harry potter, star wars, or werewolfxvampire or something.

How do you guys deal with your roleplay itches when you're into smaller fandoms? Please tell me there's some salvation here or am I doomed to fester in my hole alone with all my eagerness? It's been a while since I've roleplayed so having just gotten into a new fandom, it renewed my desire to flex my writing muscles but I look around and its like *crickets crickets*

(alsototallynotacalloutbutifyoulovetheuntamedakamdzsorcqlpleasefreakinghitmeupillloveyouforeverandever)

That’s me right now, my favorite fandom is the Mario rpg games but those aren’t very well known so not a lot of people have RPs going for that world

 

[Wylrin]

I completely relate to being a part of a small fandom (or practically nonexistent fandom). Honestly, what I'd really love is a roleplay that takes place in the universe of "My Teacher is an Alien" by Bruce Coville. I've tried taking aspects of this book series and sculpting an original roleplay after it, but I haven't had much luck in terms of interest thus far. I just want to roleplay as an alien. XD

 

[CeriseFern]

If you're not overly keen on playing canon characters, it could benefit to display your RP idea as not a fandom-related property. It won't work for all ideas, of course.

There is a feeling with fandom properties that the RP has to feel and run a specific way. People not in that fandom are obviously scared off by that.
I'm particularly keen on these books 'The Demon Cycle' and since I'm interested in the universe and not the canon characters won't present the RP ideas as 'fandom' as very few people seem to know about these books. If I just present it as a fun idea a lot more people are interested, so I've had fun little RPes based on these books with people who have never read them.

If you DO want canon characters, then you're just straight out of luck I'm afraid.