Advice/Help how to keep group rps alive?

[charly]

aight im just gonna come out and say it. i dont like group rps. they do not bring me joy. for me, things usually either die before they get off the ground, or a few days into it, half the rpers will vanish into thin air and the story wont be able to progress.

so, for the few people out there whose group rps dont immediately fall apart, whats your secret? how do you keep everyone invested? one of my favorite plots ive ever devised in structured in a way where it pretty much has to be a group rp- and im ready to have another go at it! but i want to make sure im not making the same mistakes i did in the past that allowed things to die out so quickly.

so far, the only real idea i had for keeping things afloat is setting up a discord server for ooc. for me, a lot of rp success is contingent on having a healthy ooc relationship and being able to constantly exchange ideas. but with groups? i am like totally stumped! so any advise/suggestions are super super appreciated!

 

[Crayons]

Keep it small. Do it with people you know. Make sure you do your posting on time, because if you don't, no-one else will. Have a healthy OOC. Follow general guidelines for good GMing (of which there are several threads on here already).

 

[Windsock]

For me, you don't even need people you know. As GM, I've been running a game with only 2 dudes I knew beforehand and 4 strangers I've come to start knowing for about 2 months now and it seems very stable. From my perspective, I think a healthy combination of four factors is what got me this far. I think those four are 'Assertiveness', 'Understanding', 'Communication', and 'Regularity'.

In short, as the 'game-master' or general 'runner' of an RP, you need to have some kind of schedule and to notify people you're working on something often, and to generally communicate with your players about the RP. You don't need to individually talk to everyone all the time, but public posts detailing what you plan to do that day and your general policies are very important.

An explicit rulebook you plan to follow is also a boon because it gives everyone a sense of having a plan, even if you write by the seat of your pants. A generally assertive personality is also good, and I mean in that kind of strong, understanding, maybe contemplative sense. As in, "I've had time to consider all factors, and this is the most prudent thing to do given what I know about you people and what you all want out of it, and what I want." A mixture of all of these qualities seems a necessity for a long-lasting, stable RP.

Furthermore, my RP doesn't have a discord and I'd hate to have one. Having too fast of communication, especially in this highly intimate yet unfamiliar context of 'internet', can be more of a curse than a boon. It's a strange opinion to have, but I think I'm on to something. Consider the fact you could just be having a bad day and won't have the time to filter your own language. Texting is like talking, especially if you're a fast typer; you can always screw up and say something you shouldn't have.

Communicating with your dudes in the manner of 'occasional letters' instead of 'constant speech' is easy, really. It makes it feel more subdued, like, "I wonder what he has in store for me this week." instead of "He's been quiet for these past few days.", which is good in the RP context. Everyone needs days for privacy, and 'being able to take a day off' without having to be explicit about it makes it easier for everyone involved. It's like crunch-time in a work environment, or something like that. Just make an environment that is conducive to a steady stream and don't worry about the floodgate.

I've been wanting to share some of my findings as a GM, so please excuse my wall of text. I hope this is useful to both players and GM's.

 

[Franklin]

My secret is I'm a hard ass in the beginning. Truly this is the only thing that gets my role plays lasting a long time. I've had a fair few role plays last a few years and span hundreds of pages. I've role played on a lot of platforms tho.

Things that keep my players interested. Not pussy footing around. I run my role plays a certain way and its very structured. It's like this for a reason. If you don't have structure a role play will not last. If you don't have consistency, it wont last. I also am choosy about who I let continue in my group role plays. If I notice a toxic person. I call them out immediately and remove the problem or resolve the problem. You have to learn to balance being cut throat and kind all at once. Group role plays require a bit more maintenance then one on one's because your dealing with several people at once. Making sure each character feels they have a strong role in the story line is important too . I do this by having an event that focuses on a character. Say a birthday celebration or a game night or I mean you could go anywhere but its important everyone feel important. That is the biggest thing. It's not so much about the others keeping up its making sure that the admin or role player mod keeps things interesting.

 

[Kazami42]

Just gonna add onto the already posted:

Community. If you want more than one in the same universe you made up, or don't want the world drastically changing, you'll have to in ways if not entirely abandon the nomadic model of RPing. Having someone you can keep around or have a friend can add further commitment, boosting further any chosen or invented path of styling. Don't even need the community if it's easy to get them to stay and be a friend, but you also don't need friends to still have a functional community. Alternatively, any IRL or existent friends could be stuffed into a community. Regardless, as long as it functions more than a glorified OOC group, and others can flow their own ideas and RPs about too, it can work still. If you want it more organized than people in messages or memorizing their names, use things like discord.

I repeat this because every community I was in bothered staying together, knowing each other, and made series of roleplays for years, reaching hundreds of pages, ooc clogged in page numbers, etc. And my last community literally stayed together, came here, and made a variety of RPs several years ago. Then I created my own and continued the tradition until my present predicament/virtual handicap.

For the GM version: If you just want one RP, but don't want it dying but don't have the time, just get the attention of the last people you RPed with that appeared to have a form of commitment to staying longer than others, or were the most active. That works too, but being nomadic, you have a 50/50 chance of either keeping them or they leave. It's also a matter of what the RP is, and how you moderate. Other questions relevant to retaining a group is what is your personality or writing like? It's easier for the like-minded to stay together, but that's few in number the more precise you want to be about it. Another question would be premise. For example, if you wanted to make a slice of life school RP, then what larger concept or way of going about it will be more preferable or unique to stand out of five gigabillion others? On the other end, one could ask what will be in it instead, if there's very few active or overall amounts of the same concept. Making a unique execution of look less difficult.

However I assume this is all about characters, making it naturally a step more agitating because that has it's own jar of barking snakes in it. In that case I'd recommend things already mentioned like communication, but those a bit more. Some role players prefer getting to know someone before deciding upon a commitment or not, so a blank OOC with a speak when bored or only if necessary mindset could be detrimental. I cannot really add upon that, as this type of RPing focus isn't exactly "my field of study".

If none of that works out, I hope you at least got a laugh from reading something of this.

 

[Malphaestus]

Even if all factors are perfect, luck is a far more important factor than anything else. Namely the luck of attracting the right individuals. And the luck of not having your players experience any derailing IRL happenings.

 

[leviathan.]

a clear vision of where you want to go helps immensely. a lot of people come up with the premise and take a "decide as we go" approach or just have vague ideas with the actual meat/substance of the story. this puts a lot of the burden on the players, stagnates the story, and it tends to kill a lot of rps. GMs need to know what theyre doing or at least act like they do lmfao. not saying the whole story should be decided from the start, but basic arcs and major key storyline developments should be thought out before starting.

tl;dr as a rule of thumb, the gm must be responsible for plot developments, while the players are responsible for character development within that plot.

 

[Juicy Peach]

I think one thing to help with group RPs too is to get the roleplay started.
I see too many people make group RPs that end up taking a month or longer to get off the ground and by that point,
a lot of people have already lost interest or moved on. ​

 

[Shin Positron Laser]

I believe if you are the GM, you must show your Players your resolve and dedication to your RP, and you must help them find their resolve to commit. Knowing the kind of players you want for your RP will help in this matter as well. I will use my current RP as a model of explanation.

I start with the Interest Check. The interest check will always show my vision for the roleplay, all the general guidelines I want players to follow, the plot, themes, etc. It usually amounts to more than a minute of reading, so anyone who shudders at wall texts will shy away. If they still remain interested, I will follow up with answering their questions and replying to comments. When I have established the minimal players required, I will notify all who posted in the Interest check to verify their interest once again. Many times, players will let me know yes or no.

Now that I have players keen on the plot and roleplay, they will be able to start building characters. Character Sheets are not only detailed, they also require more reading, this time, into specific lore. Birth Dates, e.g. all 12 months of the year have different names. Same with the Calendar year. Names, can have a meaning behind them. Race, nationality, backgrounds, they all have some form of lore attached to them that must be read in order to fill out the CS correctly. It is fairly restrictive and some have lost interest because of all the red tape. Don't even get me started on the combat section of the CS because that is a beast in itself. I sometimes need to approve that section days after the RP has begun.

The test does not end there. In the IC normally the first chapter will be slow, players will get to know my style of GMing, how I move the plot forward, different timeskips, combat scenarios will definitely be a learning curve. Anyone who remains I know they are special players willing to dedicate themselves to roleplaying. Knowing you have that relationship with players, you can expect to have a successful RP.

 

[Tulik]

I believe if you are the GM, you must show your Players your resolve and dedication to your RP, and you must help them find their resolve to commit. Knowing the kind of players you want for your RP will help in this matter as well. I will use my current RP as a model of explanation.

I start with the Interest Check. The interest check will always show my vision for the roleplay, all the general guidelines I want players to follow, the plot, themes, etc. It usually amounts to more than a minute of reading, so anyone who shudders at wall texts will shy away. If they still remain interested, I will follow up with answering their questions and replying to comments. When I have established the minimal players required, I will notify all who posted in the Interest check to verify their interest once again. Many times, players will let me know yes or no.

Now that I have players keen on the plot and roleplay, they will be able to start building characters. Character Sheets are not only detailed, they also require more reading, this time, into specific lore. Birth Dates, e.g. all 12 months of the year have different names. Same with the Calendar year. Names, can have a meaning behind them. Race, nationality, backgrounds, they all have some form of lore attached to them that must be read in order to fill out the CS correctly. It is fairly restrictive and some have lost interest because of all the red tape. Don't even get me started on the combat section of the CS because that is a beast in itself. I sometimes need to approve that section days after the RP has begun.

The test does not end there. In the IC normally the first chapter will be slow, players will get to know my style of GMing, how I move the plot forward, different timeskips, combat scenarios will definitely be a learning curve. Anyone who remains I know they are special players willing to dedicate themselves to roleplaying. Knowing you have that relationship with players, you can expect to have a successful RP.

All I’m seeing with this post is that you create roleplays that aren’t user friendly to a lot of people who don’t want to go to the DMV just to have a good time. You have a specific vision and ask of your players? That’s fine. But a long winded and exasperating process is not conducive to creating a long lasting roleplay. If you get people to fall in line for this? That’s good on you. But in general this is not good advice for how to keep a roleplay going.

 

[Shin Positron Laser]

All I’m seeing with this post is that you create roleplays that aren’t user friendly to a lot of people who don’t want to go to the DMV just to have a good time. You have a specific vision and ask of your players? That’s fine. But a long winded and exasperating process is not conducive to creating a long lasting roleplay. If you get people to fall in line for this? That’s good on you. But in general this is not good advice for how to keep a roleplay going.

I never said it was best practice, only that it is my belief.

 

[Crayons]

Detailed CS requirements hardly ever work as a meter of whether the roleplay will be successful. I've seen this tactic tried hundreds of times - RP Gateway was notorious for this practice, and the RPs there had no better success rate than anything else. All that happens is that you drain your players' energy and enthusiasm before the RP even starts.

One of the longest and best group RPs I've been in had literally no CS requirements, although most people voluntarily made CSes they were generally pretty short.

 

[Franklin]

All I’m seeing with this post is that you create roleplays that aren’t user friendly to a lot of people who don’t want to go to the DMV just to have a good time. You have a specific vision and ask of your players? That’s fine. But a long winded and exasperating process is not conducive to creating a long lasting roleplay. If you get people to fall in line for this? That’s good on you. But in general this is not good advice for how to keep a roleplay going.

This method is used all over the internet.RP nation is the only site I've run into an issue with running a role play this fashion . If you explore other platforms,you'll really find this is the preferred method of creating a role play. As an example, gaiaonline, you are sometimes expected to write a profile that's like several posts long, you may also sometimes be required to write up to a thousand words a post. I find a lot of people from gaiaonline are slowly filtering into RP nation. You'll find this method used by a lot from people that used that platform. This is because if you tried to run a role play any other way on gaiaonline it would be tossed a side. Proboards and Freeforums you'll find something similar. Only for that method you are not only expected to create a lengthy profile but member accounts for each character you make.Generally these methods are not seen as restrictive but plot building procedures. I must say, I amreally surprised when a role play is run different to this. Using this method is how I've had role plays stay open for years and span hundreds of pages.

I just think you have a different preference in role playing.

Though, I'll say again, on most platforms this is pretty common.

To add to this. I don't find it restrictive for someone to expect dedication and for a general moderator to really be mindful about where plot is going for each character. A general mod is supposed to help guide a story to keep going. So, if I had a mod that pressured me a bit , I honestly wouldn't find that offensive. I'd be pleased because it shows dedication. I'm just used to working with moderators like this.

 

[rae2nerdy]

To add I have seen groups on this site that had pretty strict requirements and they did pretty well. Mind the one I am thinking of was from an ex-Gaian.

I personally kept things laid back but I did fairly casual groups by Gaian standards and usually they didn’t last. So Franklin your observation jives with my experiences too.

 

[Franklin]

To add I have seen groups on this site that had pretty strict requirements and they did pretty well. Mind the one I am thinking of was from an ex-Gaian.

I personally kept things laid back but I did fairly casual groups by Gaian standards and usually they didn’t last. So Franklin your observation jives with my experiences too.

Yeah Gaia is pretty hard core. They just got even more intense these days too. Woo wee. I really wish I could get a laid back role play to last a while but it just never does. Role plays can be a lot of work but its rewarding.

 

[rae2nerdy]

Yeah Gaia is pretty hard core. They just got even more intense these days too. Woo wee. I really wish I could get a laid back role play to last a while but it just never does. Role plays can be a lot of work but its rewarding.

yeah it’s why I moved to 1x1 (that and Gaia got clique-y and I was tired with drama.)

 

[Franklin]

yeah it’s why I moved to 1x1 (that and Gaia got clique-y and I was tired with drama.)

Right? That is often why I migrate to different platforms. I find each platform eventually gets clique-y. Especially when you get a lot of people on it. A bunch ego kills the mood =(

 

[Ganryu]

I agree with Franklin's first post. Be a hardass GM at first. I'm a chill guy, I hate doing it, but it needs to be done. An RP thrives on 'energy'. If everyone is waiting on that one guy to post, the energy is sapped. Kick them. Then everyone can enjoy the game. Keeping this energy high can come from hyping the RP, praising your players, rewarding activity, and letting people join in on planning.

This leads to another strong point. Set expectations. Disappointment always comes from unmet expectations. If everyone's on the same page, its less likely people will be disappointed. I try to tell people what my goal is for posting frequency and length. Its not a hard rule, but again, sets expectations. Someone occasionally not meeting them is alright, but don't let it be a habit. Someone had a hard time finding one post and its too short? Oh well. Someone has a midterm and can't post? That's alright (Skip them though, no hard feelings on that.) .

But when this happens again and again, KICK THEM. Do not dither about it. Don't go 'well, this time if they do it'. People are having fun in your RP. You are ruining their fun by not taking care of problems. Kick them. Also, you don't have to argue about it. That makes it worse. State your decision, and don't go back and forth over it. They know what they did. And its not personal. If you argue, it begins to feel personal.

But other than that, yeah, RP's are fun. Its great to build a community. I've made a lot of friends, and I'm glad for the strict DM's who've told me to knock shit off.

 

[Franklin]

I agree with Franklin's first post. Be a hardass GM at first. I'm a chill guy, I hate doing it, but it needs to be done. An RP thrives on 'energy'. If everyone is waiting on that one guy to post, the energy is sapped. Kick them. Then everyone can enjoy the game. Keeping this energy high can come from hyping the RP, praising your players, rewarding activity, and letting people join in on planning.

This leads to another strong point. Set expectations. Disappointment always comes from unmet expectations. If everyone's on the same page, its less likely people will be disappointed. I try to tell people what my goal is for posting frequency and length. Its not a hard rule, but again, sets expectations. Someone occasionally not meeting them is alright, but don't let it be a habit. Someone had a hard time finding one post and its too short? Oh well. Someone has a midterm and can't post? That's alright (Skip them though, no hard feelings on that.) .

But when this happens again and again, KICK THEM. Do not dither about it. Don't go 'well, this time if they do it'. People are having fun in your RP. You are ruining their fun by not taking care of problems. Kick them. Also, you don't have to argue about it. That makes it worse. State your decision, and don't go back and forth over it. They know what they did. And its not personal. If you argue, it begins to feel personal.

But other than that, yeah, RP's are fun. Its great to build a community. I've made a lot of friends, and I'm glad for the strict DM's who've told me to knock shit off.

Right! Uhg the validation is just so good. I'm just going to soak in it for a bit. MMMM. MMMM.MMMM.My very first day on RP nation I had a very immature child screeching at me at not letting her post her own profile code. Saying I was too strict. It didn't even have the information I asked for. *face palms* I let her rant on my out of character chat a bit before she eventually left. I should of just booted her but its hard with only an ignore feature here. Her friend continued to bully me in discord. It's so strange to me the entitlement of some players? Like, literally baffles me. But I did stick to my guns. Although, the experience left me feeling really disappointed because it was my first day on this site. I actually refuse to role play here because of it.

Added: She tried to do the same in another role play. And got the exact same response as me. Yet she screeched on my out of character chat for like five posts. I sincerely wish I could delete them. I also truly feel sorry for anyone who role plays with this person or her friend who was equally as obnoxious. I had to report them both.
=(

 

[Minako]

Alright, I'm aware I prooobably have unpopular opinions about some stuff, and I really do wanna come off as reasonable as humanly possible, as well as considerate...

That being said, I totally agree with:

-Malphaestus (heh, hey dude, second time I've seen you post and I whole-heartedly agree on most of what you're saying!): At the end of the day, you could have a great plot, good characters, and interested players... All only to have that one guy (you know the guy, guys...) have something horrible or derailing IRL happen to them and not be able to post (like this virus going around...) and holding everything up. Now no ones really got the heart for it (maybe even the GM) because the momentum is just... gone...

-Franklin and Ganryu: Not gonna lie, I totally see where they come from. I started RPing on Gaia online, and though I've kinda long since moved on from there mostly (rarely check in every blue moon to change my avatar and look at the CB a moment because that's all that is active) I still remember having to do this for every RP I was interested in. I totally understand the first exposure being normalized in how its done even if on other sites it isn't. And being a hardass GM is sometimes necessary, ESPECIALLY to keep the momentum going. Its sad and hurtful and it just plain DOESN'T FEEL GOOD to be the bad guy... But not everything you have to do feels good. If ONE person isn't posting, then... well... What else can you do? You can't physically make anyone post, just boot them out and try to work their way around their now gone character as well as possible so anyone/everyone else doesn't lose their enthusiasm.

 

[Franklin]

Even though this isn't my thread. And I know my view points differ than the original opinion. However, it is very liberating and makes me feel a bit more at peace I specifically am not alone. Especially with the experience I had my first day or two on this site. To add to that, it does not feel good to be the person that delegates all the time. I think armature role players forget that. They think its a power play or a power trip. But its merely trying to keep a story flowing for everyone. I'm so sorry if my posts were a nuisance to the original idea or opinion. But I just have to say this relieves a bit of tension on my heart.

 

[Lexico]

coming back to the original question: How to keep group RPs alive? It will be alive if you have found your players through consistent trial and error.

 

[Kylesar1]

Very active OOC. If the OOC isn't active, the RP already has a foot in the grave

 

[haleighlujah]

I've been wanting to share some of my findings as a GM, so please excuse my wall of text. I hope this is useful to both players and GM's.

I would love to hear more from you about this topic. Do you have any more findings to share?

 

[Windsock]

I would love to hear more from you about this topic. Do you have any more findings to share?

Nothing that immediately comes to mind, but what would you like to hear or discuss?