Other Just a roleplay rant

[Mystic Butterfly]

I'll just cut to the chase since I need to get this off my chest. I am so SICK of people dropping out of roleplays because my replies are supposedly "too short". I get it, everyone has their standards, but sometimes those standards can get in the way of a roleplay that was going well.

My average response is about 3 sentences to a paragraph. I also get frequent writers block, so that just makes it harder to write decent replies. The way that I roleplay is that I don't focus on the length. I only focus on getting the point across and moving the story along. But apparently, some people don't care about that.

I won't name any names, but I had this one roleplay partner and we were going to do a family roleplay. I only had the starter out before said partner droppped out because my starter was too short. And let me state that we didn't have a particular plot, so I just wrote that some characters were doing certain things. I didn't think I did anything wrong.

Of course, if people want to drop out, I'm not gonna go crying and begging to them to keep roleplaying. But it just hurts my feelings that some people don't care about the content and only care about the length. I'm not trying to call people out, I'm just saying how I feel.

Rant over.

 

[Malkav]

The issue is that people feel like they don't have enough to go on when you make short replies. Then it feels like extra work on their end to compensate, which makes you thrn think "why bother?" Then they leave. You don't need a wall of text, but I for one get frustrated when I go into describing actions, settings, character thought processes, and tone only to get a sentence and facial expression in return.

 

[Idea]

So I just looked up your search threads and I'd say there is a very simple solution: Tell people in advance.

To some people, quality just doesn't exist without quantity. To many of them, including myself, the thought of a post that is at once extremely short AND meets what we'd consider quality, even if that is just moving the plot along, is just not within our radars and not something we're willing to gamble. People who want that quantity are not going away. So the only way to ensure people are not leaving when they find out about your post size is to straight up tell them about it in your search thread and be honest with them and yourself about how much you can actually reply. If your writers block is so massive and frequent that you find yourself writing less than three sentences on anything resembling a regular basis that is pertinent information.

If you DO tell them before the posting starts, then you have my apologies.Otherwise I can't really blame people for quitting. There are some base expectations people have, regardless of whether they are justified or not.

Edit: For some reason I missed your latest search thread, which does feature a mention of your length. As stated, I do apologize.

 

[Cold Ramen Noodles]

Yeah, I tell people right from the start that my replies aren't the longest sometimes. So if they're not okay with that, then we don't waste time starting an rp.

 

[rae2nerdy]

Yeah that's kind of rude. I mean if I think your response is too short I'll at least let you know. Usually by asking for a bit more information so I can craft a response myself.

But I do think Malkav hit the nail on the head. Post length is all about an equivalency model. Susie writes three paragraph and Jan writes three paragraphs so Susie and Jan both put in the same amount of effort for their replies.

If Susie writes three paragraphs and Jan writes three sentences than Susie is going to feel like Jan is just being lazy and not putting in the same amount of work.

Not saying your being lazy or anything for writing shorter replies. I'm just trying to explain the thought process behind why some people prefer replies of similar length to their own.

 

[Bone2pick]

Of course, if people want to drop out, I'm not gonna go crying and begging to them to keep roleplaying. But it just hurts my feelings that some people don't care about the content and only care about the length.

That's a strawman.

 

[hologram]

Personally I'm someone who thrives on detailed posts because I'm all about the immersion factor. Immersion into a setting, immersion into a character's thoughts, immersion aided by extra description, etcetera. I'm also naturally long winded as all hell so even when I consciously try to make a short post it ends up being about twice as long as I originally intended. But I don't begrudge people for writing or preferring shorter posts, because RP is a diverse hobby enjoyed by all sorts of people.

With that said, I can't say that I don't care about content, because a lot of the content I care about can't reliably be delivered in three sentence posts. There's definitely nothing wrong with short posts, it's just not my preference, but I don't much care for the implication that because I enjoy longer posts I only care about the length.

It sucks that you were dropped because your partner wasn't compatible with your style, but it's something that happens all the time and it's usually not personal. There are plenty of RPers out there who enjoy shorter posts just fine though so don't let it discourage you too much.

 

[Mo-The-Unicorn]

Im all for detail but writing 3+ paragraphs takes alot of time. And sometimes you just need to reply and can't take 20 minutes writing. Iv lost partner's for not writing long enough. If its one line I understand getting frustrated but if it's long enough you can keep replying then who cares if it's only 3 lines or a paragraph.

 

[Idea]

Im all for detail but writing 3+ paragraphs takes alot of time.

3 sentences to a paragaph. The OP said 3 sentences to a paragraph. As in, when I finish this sentence, that could make a post.

 

[MikaboshiEinst]

I'll just cut to the chase since I need to get this off my chest. I am so SICK of people dropping out of roleplays because my replies are supposedly "too short". I get it, everyone has their standards, but sometimes those standards can get in the way of a roleplay that was going well.

My average response is about 3 sentences to a paragraph. I also get frequent writers block, so that just makes it harder to write decent replies. The way that I roleplay is that I don't focus on the length. I only focus on getting the point across and moving the story along. But apparently, some people don't care about that.

I won't name any names, but I had this one roleplay partner and we were going to do a family roleplay. I only had the starter out before said partner droppped out because my starter was too short. And let me state that we didn't have a particular plot, so I just wrote that some characters were doing certain things. I didn't think I did anything wrong.

Of course, if people want to drop out, I'm not gonna go crying and begging to them to keep roleplaying. But it just hurts my feelings that some people don't care about the content and only care about the length. I'm not trying to call people out, I'm just saying how I feel.

Rant over.

Well considering some people take time to actually paint a good stories in a RP.... Although I would mostly admonish the person rather than dropping out

 

[sad boy]

You may want to find other partners who post the same amount as you do
then. It's not fair to the people who are writing detailed posts to get a three
sentence response in return. It does go both ways.​

 

[kevintheradioguy]

I am so SICK of people dropping out of roleplays because my replies are supposedly "too short". I get it, everyone has their standards, but sometimes those standards can get in the way of a roleplay that was going well.

Did you ever think those standards exist specifically for a roleplay to go well for those people?
I had a partner who wrote three to five sentences as a reply, constantly, and I didn't have anything to write back. Too short. Nothing was done. I cannot do that. You cannot push decent amount of information most experienced players need for decent a response if you write three sentences. It is virtually impossible.

Idea offered a right solution: tell people in advance. Some need longer replies, some are OK with short ones. Believe me, your partners get irritated by your short replies as much as you get irritated by them dropping the game.

 

[Vespura]

I agree

 

[Ruby Reese]

I've never lost a partner for not replying with a long enough reply, and that's definitely weird. Instead of dropping out, you guys should be able to work it out and told to each other about it.

 

[prismatika]

I usually write between one and three paragraphs, but a long as my partner gives me something I can respond to, I'm fine. If they don't give me something I can work with, though, I get sort of lost and lose interest.

 

[M u n e]

Malkav and Idea summed it up pretty well.

I, myself, like to write a lot! I really do. It can range from one hearty paragraph to a whole essay sometimes. If my partner only writes a couple sentences or so to a huge response, it makes me feel like the work put in my reply doesn't mean anything.

I know lots of people have different stances on this, but if you want a roleplay the both of you enjoy, I'd recommend searching out those kinds of people. Long responses or short ones, roleplaying is something that should be enjoyed by both partners, nothing else to it.

It's gonna suck being dropped because of it, but there's people out there who definitely suit your standards for writing! Do a little searching of your own, I'm sure you'll find some people who experience the same things. ^^

 

[Gilzar]

In my mind a lot of the whole length issue comes down to who you roleplay with and what their expectations are. I too used to struggle with post length whenever I first joined roleplays with new people. However, eventually I came up with a system where I just write long posts until I get a feel for what everyone wants and is comfortable with. It also never hurts to ask as well.

My advice on this matter as a roleplayer is this: Keep roleplaying, and keep meeting new users. Eventually you will find a group of people who fit well with the style you like to post with. Unfortunately a lot of people don't appreciate the fact that people with different posting styles in the long run actually in my opinion tend to make things more interesting.

 

[FlyingDemon]

Yeah, it's actually annoying, sometimes my replies were short, but that, it's because i don't write a wall of text in english, i'll do it in my pace.

Most of my partners only cared about lenghts, if my english is limited, how i am supposed to provides a para or novella content? the worst is, even if i explain them the problem, well, it doesn't solve anything.

Honestly, this thing get on my nerves pretty quick, my past partners were amazing and very comprehensive, now, it's kinda hard to find the same people, because of this, i'm not that motived.

Isn't a roleplay about common efforts? i'm just asking.

 

[Klyntar]

I'm usually alright with whatever length someone writes with as long as I'm given something I can work with. I always prefer quality over quantity. It's definitely possible in certain scenes to keep a roleplay moving along smoothly with posts that are only a few sentences, but this requires the writer to be capable of structuring those sentences well. You can write 10 paragraphs describing one specific thing when a single paragraph would've worked just as well if not far better, which goes to show length is not always everything. But in the end it's all a preference. Some people can't cope with shorter replies, so your best option is to tell them in advance. If people still quit on you after you've warned them, well, that isn't your fault.