Other Have you ever explained to someone you RP for fun?

[Miracle Corgi]

When I was really at my peak of role playing and replying, conspiring, and world building daily I lived two different lives pretty much. I had a tight group of RL friends when I went to school, and a tight knight group of internet friends that I talked with whenever I got home, and I'd role play with that group. It's not necessarily weird but I feel like there's connotations when you say you role play that throw people off (lmao), and I still don't think I could tell someone now, even my close friends that I've known since high school (and they know all the other nerdy things about me) that I'm getting back into role playing and that I once did it. I honestly think one of my friends would really enjoy it - but it even sorta weirds me out thinking about starting a 1x1 with her to see how she'd write a character.

I'm not losing sleep over this, but I've never thought to ask anyone else if they ever told anyone about role playing. Am I the only one that sorta keeps it as a secret hobby?

disclaimer, not trying to call role playing weird because it's a lot of fun and it should be normal - but I guess I see it as a taboo kind of pastime since I would never consider telling my friends I have had a lot of fun doing it! Also, don't know if I've posted this thread in the right spot but I think it isn't too off topic

 

[Dreamtique]

It's kind of the same for me. It's almost like I have a secret life or something, I think it's partly due to my shy nature that I never want to share most things I do for fun with those who are close to me. It couldn't be more accurate to describe this as a 'secret hobby' of mine.
I think just like myself not many people around me are aware that such a thing even exist, or they simply feel weird about talking about it, but honestly I really don't think people around me are familiar with this, I think rping will come off as kind of a culture shock to them if anything. I only get to stuble upon this when I browse the internet with a very specific craving.
And I am only talking about forum rping, detailed tabletop rping is almost very certainly off the radar for most people around where I live due to cultural difference I guess.

 

[Miracle Corgi]

funnily enough my friends and I venture really close to this IRL! At least once a year when we're all back in town we'll write up murder mysteries and act them out, and we tried a table-top RP once but we couldn't hold concentration and that was even skimping a lot of character building.

It's just so weird because despite how close those two things are to pretty much what my secret hobby consists of, i would feel so weird saying that I love to sit with strangers on the internet and write stories! it's so crazy!!

I'm glad I'm not alone in this lol

 

[Ashfeather]

My RL friends know I play DnD with other RL friends but I never tell them about my online RPs. They would totally understand, one (if not two) of them does it herself, and another would totally love to do it. But I don't tell lol. I even made sure not to use my regular online nick here for some paranoid fear that someone will find my posts in a Google search and be like "Omg what a nerd!" I think to me these kinds of RPs are freeing in that I really get into my characters and the stories, and I can play anyone without people connecting it to who I am IRL. I really don't want to mix the two!
But then, one of my RL friends is someone I met through online RP. We stopped RPing after meeting IRL though

 

[Idea]

Also, don't know if I've posted this thread in the right spot but I think it isn't too off topic

Yeah this probably should have gone into general discussion, but since it just borderline counts as roleplay discussion eh...


Personally, I'll say it, I have a panic attack whenever someone sneaks into my room while my PC is on. I am extremely embarassed of mos tof my hobbies not because any of them are wrong, but because I know they just aren't received well. And frankly, it's not particularly healthy for my IRl life, but I've become part of communities that only God could move me out of.

I've told exactly three people what I do. I was mocked all three times. One time was a sibling, another two times were some close friends of mine. It didn't work out and now I'm pretty defensive about the matter...

 

[Tarmagon]

I'd have to say that I got my start with the DnD and tabletop rpg crowd and never looked back. Since most of my close friends were part of the same gamer groups it was never an issue. Once I got out into the 'adult' world, well time constraints, funny looks... you know the drill. You're a 50+ year old male with responsibilities, what do you think you're doing wasting your time on comics and video games and writing with complete strangers you met on the internet? To which I reply... Keeping my sanity.