Advice/Help group search threads?

[catdog]

I have seen one x one interest checks that list all that you want, and as the section indicates, is for a one on one experience. But Is there a benefit in doing the same in groups? Listing what kind of group roleplays you are searching for? I ask because I haven't seen anything like that like I have in one x ones, which leads me to believe it either isn't often done or is not so successful.

 

[Onmyoji]

With group roleplays, if you list for example "I want Rp1, Rp2 and Rp3" in one thread, there will be a few people interested in 1, a few interested in 2 and a few interested in 3. And they may not be the same people. So it would be a bit chaotic to handle. So people usually make a thread for one specific theme and wait for responses.

Now, you CAN list more than one.
When I say 1 thread=1 theme, it's usually a thread posted by people who want to organize a rp. If you want to join a group rp and not organize, you can make a thread with multiple requests and see if someone invites you to their rp.

 

[Idea]

While it's not like it never happens, I think a good way to think about it is this:

When you search in a 1x1 you are searching for partners. The 1x1 thread is not simply advertising ideas, but the person suggesting those, and the one searching is looking for the right person in addition to the right ideas to be their partner. In groups though, what is advertised is ideas, people come together around a particular idea to work on. So while in a one on one people present themselves to one another to see if they are a compatible match, in a group format the only one that is presenting anything at least during the interest phase is the one making the interest check. Put another way: The people recruiting for roleplays are the ones making the group interest checks. The people looking at group interest checks are looking to join roleplays, not recruit for them. So even if you advertise multiple ideas if you don't intend to run them as a GM you probably won't get those roleplays and you could create misunderstandings.

That being said, even if you do intend to be the GM, presenting multiple ideas still has some issues: Multiple ideas at once can turn people away because they are looking to see if they are interested in an idea and their choices are the multiple interests checks. It can prevent your individual ideas from having the impact you would like them to have, because they are diluted and not given your full attention and ingenuity, because they always have to share space and attention with other ideas. You lose the ability to create a title that would be most attractive in a group sense, and those people you do manage to recruit are likely to be at least somewhat split on your ideas - meaning the number of people showing interest may be a fraction of the ones you'd actually be able to pull into a given roleplay.

On the other hand, there is one advantage which does bear saying: You can gauge some interest on multiple ideas, meaning you're trying several different things and thus it might just be you stumble into one that works against the odds, by virtue of trial and error.

On a personal note, I don't think it's a good idea. I think if you aren't passionate enough about an idea that you can pick it out of the others, you're likely to crumble under the pressure when GMing. 1x1s are one thing, but GMing is another, there is a lot less leeway and a lot more work.

So those are my two cents on this matter. I hope this helps, happy roleplaying!