Do You Focus on Plot or Characters in a Roleplay?

[Karate Cat]

Now, both plot and characters are absolutely fundamental for a good roleplay, and a good writing in general. However, what I want to know is whether you favor plots or characters when you're constructing an RP?


I personally favor plots for my roleplay, and so I construct my roleplay based on the plot idea that I'm craving at the moment. Characters for me are just there for the purpose of the plots, and so for each new plots I would forge new characters suiting their role. As such, I don't have particular attachment to any of my characters and less likely to use them for other roleplays, while with plot I like to recycle or make more than one roleplays using them.


I'd like to hear your opinion on this topic.

 

[Chordling]

As you said, both of the mentioned elements are important for any story.  I tend to focus more on my character after a basic idea for the plot has been structured.  My basic plots usually include four or five turning points, the introduction, the rising climax, the actual climax, the falling climax, and the resolution.  Then it's all about how my character reacts to those situations.  With a well-developed character, everything else in between will create itself.


I'm quite the opposite as you when it comes to character attachment.  I become incredibly attached to my characters.  Some of them I have even pulled off of this site because I am thinking about using them in published work.  But, like you, I rarely use my characters for other roleplays.  I'm never afraid to re-use an old plot.  I'm always looking to improve the story.

 

[Wishfully]

I basically agree with everything Musician said; I feel pretty much the same about basic plot structure and character attachment.


Except that I do reuse characters for roleplays if I think they fit. Since I do mostly modern RPs these days, I have a lot of "normal people" characters that I feel are somewhat reusable. I honestly got a little tired of putting a lot of effort into a new character every time and then the RP dying without ever getting to explore any aspects of the character or how they would interact with others—so I tend to reuse characters that have only seen a few posts in their lifetimes and will probably "retire" them eventually. But if I joined, say, a superpowered, fandom, dystopian, or futuristic RP where a lot of the character's history and traits are dependent upon the setting/plot, I would certainly feel the need to create a new character tailored to that plot. I guess I favor plots when there's a lot of world building involved and characters if the setting is pretty close to real life, though probably characters overall.

 

[call me rae]

Well that's a tough question to answer. I'm one of those rare ducks that might be b


neutral or at least hold both aspects equally important.


I do tons of world building for all my roleplays - I got like twenty docs on google with just information I've created to flesh out different roleplays.


But at the same time I like to focus on actual character interaction too.


So really yeah it's a tie.

 

[slytherinwitch]

  I like to have a general plot in mind, but also strongly fleshed out characters who fit that world. Most of my role-playing has been in fandom games, specifically Harry Potter. I find that original characters should have some back story as many writers in the fandom games, really have no history for their characters. On the other hand, a plot that is too restrictive can be very off-putting, especially if it stops characters from doing what they want to do in game. This is why I like to have a general plot to serve as a starting point and/or game twist, but leave it open-ended enough that it allows for creativity on the part of the players.


  Then again, too many people I've encountered have one scene in mind and once written, they are plumb out of ideas. It can get frustrating to strike that balance between enough guidance to keep the game going, but open enough that no one feels stifled.


  I agree with the sentiment that both are vital to the game, but for different reasons. No plot equals no direction, but weak characters are one-dimensional and boring to everyone other than their creators.

 

[Bone2pick]

It depends on what type of roleplay I plan to launch.  If I'm working on a sandbox RP then setting and characters take center stage, while the plot—if I give any attention to it at all—becomes an afterthought.  But if I want to pitch a traditional party-structured group RP, then I'll work out a primary plot along with several subplot opportunities.  In the latter case, character concepts will be more restricted and need to have fairly similar motivations.

 

[ApfelSeine]

I am so incredibly focused on characters that it's probably somewhat limiting Characters are the most interesting aspect of any story to me (possibly because of my interest in psychology). I tend to have a great amount of affection for all my characters and spend a great deal of time learning as much as I can about them. It's somewhat bizarre, but I actually start with a basic idea of who they are and develop their character as I roleplay or write. It's almost as though they already exist and I just discovered them hanging out in my brain, waiting be analyzed and understood. As a result, I focus almost entirely upon characters and character dynamics. It's likely why I rarely finish writing things. I've only ever got a general idea of where things should be going, and I'm easily distracted by interesting characters.


The main limitation to relying only on characters is that all of the conflicts tend to be character vs character or character vs themselves. Other conflicts like character vs nature or character vs fate and suchlike get pushed aside in favor of focusing on characters. As a result, the majority of the conflicts and plotlines I create tend to arise from the characters, and it's incredibly difficult to keep things focused in a roleplay when characters are allowed free range. But on the flip side, I enjoy watching characters go about doing what they want to do. So for me, there isn't much incentive to stay focusing on plotline in roleplays (though I should probably be more disciplined when I'm writing prose). It's my main intention to better understand my characters through roleplaying them anyways.

 

[Gegawat]

I assume I am somewhere in the middle. What I strive in a roleplay is character development. So that needs both an interesting character to begin with and a complicated plot, to put said character trough some hardships to form his character, sort of... It's rather complicated for me to explain, maybe because I have so little experience with Role Plays. The very first role play I was in the focus was more on characters, so I decided to focus on character development. The GM was using a facebook game to host the RP, so we were actually playing the game and RP-ing at the same time. Then whatever happened, happened and I left the RP with several of the other players and we formed our own, this time we focused on the story, but this ended up our characters being boring. That lead to an argument and we stopped talking to each other. Well, we met in the first RP, so for me it was not a big loss. Then I met this other guy, through mutual friend, who was doing a realistic/modern RP, so I decided to join. There, I found the true meaning of Mary Sue Edgelord character. I decided to focus on character development there. So I used the character from the first RP, and I started developing him in the way I wanted. 6 months into the RP and my character grew so much, I was happy with it. Untill that same guy who invited me, started destroying everything my character created. I was building stuff for 6 months and he destroyed it in one day. I was so furious I left. This is how I ended up here. I am yet to join any RP on this site, but if I do, I will probably focus on characters again.
 

 

[Grey]

I'm a pretty traditional GM, so I focus on either plot or setting first. Much like Bone2Pick, if I'm running something sandboxy I ensure the setting is detailed and vivid enough that players can pursue personal plotlines based on their characters. For my structured narrative experiences, I emphasize plot and the supporting setting elements, and let the players worry about characters - I enjoy providing personal subplots for each character, but I let the players dictate the parameters for those most of the time. 

 

[call me rae]

I'm a pretty traditional GM, so I focus on either plot or setting first. Much like Bone2Pick, if I'm running something sandboxy I ensure the setting is detailed and vivid enough that players can pursue personal plotlines based on their characters. For my structured narrative experiences, I emphasize plot and the supporting setting elements, and let the players worry about characters - I enjoy providing personal subplots for each character, but I let the players dictate the parameters for those most of the time. 

What about games you don't GM? I'm curious cuz I've never heard you mention being a player so I was wondering if you only GM and never play. Lol not exactly relevant but just something I realized.


it would certainly give you a unique perspective if that was the case.

 

[Grey]

I do play sometimes. I play a bit IRL, and I'm in one or two RPs here on RPN.  In those cases, I try to make characters who will work in the plot, and naturally be inclined to follow plot threads. 


Unless it's a sandbox, in which case I try to make a character with strong personal motivations and trust the GM to throw hooks my way. 


I don't participate in GM-less RPs unless it's a game of Fiasco! at a convention or something.  


But I'm a terrible player, and characters are consistently the weakest part of everything I do. 

 

[Tedronai]

I don't think they can ever entirely be separated but for me the priority is character every time.


The characters are what make the story in my opinion, and it is the characters working together or against each other that makes the plot rather than it being some esoteric notion that exists all by itself.


When I work on the plot I'm specifically looking to introduce elements that test a character's strengths/exploit their weaknesses rather than just saying "hey, I've got an idea" and throwing the first character I think of in at the deep end.

 

[DarkLightHitomi]

What do you mean by plot?


To my knowledge, plot is a sequence of events. That is a bad thing for an rp in general, because it takes control away from the players. Also known as railroading.


To be fair, some players like to play rpgs like boardgames with rp layered on top, and those players probably don't mind or even enjoy the railroading and structured plot.


But most players I know I find more enjoyment when there is a situation rather than a plot. For example, a necromancer conquering the land is a situation, and thus events unfold according to what the players do. A plot is when the gm plans out: the pcs do A, they find B, go to C, they kill D, etc, etc, etc.


In that sense, I hate plots, but I love interesting situations and find them essential regardless of whether you are looking for character drama (because events trigger pc responses which drive the drama) or looking for story (and the interactivity of players controlling the pcs is what makes an rpg different from reading a book).

 

[plotsaresexy]

personally I think a great roleplay has a good balance of both. when i'm constructing the story i like to put all my efforts in to make sure its a good plot, but also try to make sure i have a character that's perfect for the story. if you have a great plot but terrible writers you're fucked, but if you have great writers and a terrible plot, you're fucked there too

 

[Tedronai]

if you have a great plot but terrible writers you're fucked, but if you have great writers and a terrible plot, you're fucked there too

lol, I think I'm going to put this on the wall above my pc for when I'm writing.

 

[plotsaresexy]

@Tedronai xD  hahahahaha, ok, but i get the rights to the phrase xD  

 

[Karate Cat]

@DarkLightHitomi This might also depend on what you are looking for in a roleplay and how you approach it.


For example, my approach for roleplay is "collaborative writing". That is, we are grouped together as writers who plot out the world to our liking, complementing each other. So each of us will fill the spot the others haven't filled yet, might be characters, situation, plot progression, and all that. In this case, plot in my opinion is my "vision" of how the story will unfold, both independent and relative to what the others are making simultaneously. Independent because I have my own vision on how the story should unfold, but also relative because every time others introduced something in the plot, I will make adjustment and might even go to a different direction altogether from my previous goal.


I'm also aware that roleplay is also "playing the characters that you made". That is, you are controlling the characters to enjoy the world without having to relate with a fixed "storyline". This might be more true to the essence of roleplaying compared to my definition, and the point would be more about having fun and developing characters instead of "finishing a story".

 

[plotsaresexy]

TBH i just want to start an RP and finish it. it's been years since i've gotten to the end of a role-play thanks to all my usual sites busting

 

[Karate Cat]

@plotsaresexy eh, wanna try doing one with meow? off-topic but i'm the topic starter so whatever is fine right

 

[plotsaresexy]

@Karate Cat I'd love to! do you have any plots in mind? if not i've got quite a few.

 

[King Ad Rock]

 
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You can't have one without the ooother (theme song to Married With Children)
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Plots and the charactahs, plots and the charactahs
try to separate them and people will stare at chya
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This, I tell you brooother, you can't have one-
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Alright enough of that. But seriously, they should be intertwined and cared for together. The character's individual backstories and plots should both intertwine with and be used to forward the main narrative. This keeps RPers feeling connected, well-used, and most importantly, having fun and sticking it out for the long run.

So both, I try to make sure each character in RPs I've GMed will have some connection, either known to that character or not, to both the main plot and another character's story. This just makes whatever world you RP in feel more real.

 
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[Grey]

What do you mean by plot?


To my knowledge, plot is a sequence of events. That is a bad thing for an rp in general, because it takes control away from the players. Also known as railroading.


To be fair, some players like to play rpgs like boardgames with rp layered on top, and those players probably don't mind or even enjoy the railroading and structured plot.


But most players I know I find more enjoyment when there is a situation rather than a plot. For example, a necromancer conquering the land is a situation, and thus events unfold according to what the players do. A plot is when the gm plans out: the pcs do A, they find B, go to C, they kill D, etc, etc, etc.


In that sense, I hate plots, but I love interesting situations and find them essential regardless of whether you are looking for character drama (because events trigger pc responses which drive the drama) or looking for story (and the interactivity of players controlling the pcs is what makes an rpg different from reading a book).

This is basically how I run things - emergent plot from how player characters react to the world and situations I set before them. When I want to write a story, I just go and do that.


But I do have some story beats for thematic purposes that I expect to hit, or revelations about NPC motivations. Those are part of a loose framework, though - more supporting material for the situation than concrete waypoints. 

 

[YanaAi]

What do you mean by plot?


To my knowledge, plot is a sequence of events. That is a bad thing for an rp in general, because it takes control away from the players. Also known as railroading.


To be fair, some players like to play rpgs like boardgames with rp layered on top, and those players probably don't mind or even enjoy the railroading and structured plot.


But most players I know I find more enjoyment when there is a situation rather than a plot. For example, a necromancer conquering the land is a situation, and thus events unfold according to what the players do. A plot is when the gm plans out: the pcs do A, they find B, go to C, they kill D, etc, etc, etc.


In that sense, I hate plots, but I love interesting situations and find them essential regardless of whether you are looking for character drama (because events trigger pc responses which drive the drama) or looking for story (and the interactivity of players controlling the pcs is what makes an rpg different from reading a book).

I'll have to agree with this. When I write, I have a general backbone on how I want things to unfold but getting there is entirely up to my characters. A scene will happen depending on how A will react to B, and so on. The more a character's personality and background is set in stone, the more depth I can add to the story. Great characters breath great stories, I guess.

 

[Alexandra]

What do you mean by plot?


To my knowledge, plot is a sequence of events. That is a bad thing for an rp in general, because it takes control away from the players. Also known as railroading.


To be fair, some players like to play rpgs like boardgames with rp layered on top, and those players probably don't mind or even enjoy the railroading and structured plot.


But most players I know I find more enjoyment when there is a situation rather than a plot. For example, a necromancer conquering the land is a situation, and thus events unfold according to what the players do. A plot is when the gm plans out: the pcs do A, they find B, go to C, they kill D, etc, etc, etc.


In that sense, I hate plots, but I love interesting situations and find them essential regardless of whether you are looking for character drama (because events trigger pc responses which drive the drama) or looking for story (and the interactivity of players controlling the pcs is what makes an rpg different from reading a book).

This is really odd to me, that a plot is a bad thing. First of all, you're making the assumption that your players will engage with your premise and the sequence of events in exactly the way you want them to, and this is impossible to predict. If a GM chooses to force them into a prescribed situation, railroading them, then I would suggest they write fiction instead of games. A plot does not equal a railroad as players are under no obligation to follow it.
 


Right, let's take The Dread Necromancer Greyman conquering the once beautiful land of Éire as a premise. You're hoping the players will choose to stop his rise to power, right? But what if your players decide saving Éire isn't really worth it? I mean, it's a pretty small kingdom, and it rains a lot. Instead they decide to move across the border, settle in Tirconaill, and not interfere with the necromancer.
What happens then?

 

[Tedronai]

What makes you assume your theoretical Necromancer will be satisfied with Eire? Maybe he also has plans for Tirconaill.


This is why I focus on characters. If you understand them well enough there's no situation that they wouldn't have some reaction to, and it's those reactions that built a plot.