Other So... why do you roleplay?

[Elowyn]

Hello folks~!

So today's question is the motivation behind your roleplaying habits!
Do you do it for fun? As a hobby? To enhance your writing skills? To bolster your story-making techniques? Is it intriguing for you to find out what will happen when you drop characters into certain scenarios?

Why do you roleplay???



For me personally, it helps me keep my writing style sharp. Specifically knowing how much detail and which ones to add is key. Also, it helps me understand characters and people in general and also how people think. I think that part of it is therapeutic too, because I tend to get social anxiety for fear of 'messing up' in a relationship with friends. So it is soothing to me to be able to see the situation laid out in plain text and then respond to it. Of course, roleplay like anything else takes some trialing and error-ing. But my confidence is boosted as well when I successfully craft a character and/or scene with another person. It's a lot more fun to write a story and create plot with another human being, I think, because roleplay is collaborative in nature. And also because I find the ability to "control" all the characters in the story not that appealing. I think it's too easy for me to write a story that is just a pipe dream fantasy of how I want life and the world to work. Course that's not to say that that isn't what happens all the time, but nevertheless...

 

[CallmeMyth]

I RP out of boredom, and also because I enjoy writing. I don't write entire books like I used to any more, mainly because of time constraints. So RPing is a good way for me to write stories while also interacting with other people.

 

[rae2nerdy]

I roleplay as a social interaction and as a way to explore whatever worlds or characters are floating around my head at any given moment.

 

[SandraDeelightful]

I find it both a nice way to relax, and I like to exercise my creativity. I love plotting with people, and thinking of new and exciting scenarios to put my characters in.

 

[AlbaGuBrath]

Well, as a kid, I enjoyed mentally writing myself into books I read as a way to relax and escape. I was bullied in school and had been uprooted a few times, so I enjoyed experiencing new stories and making friends through writing. It was much easier for me to interact with others online than face-to-face. Writing stories with others was a way for me to deal with some difficult points in my life.

More recently, while I still enjoy writing and do it for fun, I mostly use it as a means to improve my writing and to work through issues or questions I would like to explore. Occasionally I'll participate in something just for the fun of it, but most of the time I want to get some sort of question out of it. Whether it's an issue I've personally experienced or just a question I have about people/history/philosophy in general, I can usually find a plot and/or a character to explore it with.
Finally, I do it to deal with anxiety, like the OP mentioned. I struggle with social situations in real life, so I use the social aspects of RP (both in character and out) as a sort of practice zone for real life. A mistake or bad decision in character won't hurt me like a real one will, and I can assess a character's good or bad behavior more objectively than my own, so I can experiment and see what works well or doesn't.

 

[Elowyn]

Well, as a kid, I enjoyed mentally writing myself into books I read as a way to relax and escape. I was bullied in school and had been uprooted a few times, so I enjoyed experiencing new stories and making friends through writing. It was much easier for me to interact with others online than face-to-face. Writing stories with others was a way for me to deal with some difficult points in my life.

More recently, while I still enjoy writing and do it for fun, I mostly use it as a means to improve my writing and to work through issues or questions I would like to explore. Occasionally I'll participate in something just for the fun of it, but most of the time I want to get some sort of question out of it. Whether it's an issue I've personally experienced or just a question I have about people/history/philosophy in general, I can usually find a plot and/or a character to explore it with.
Finally, I do it to deal with anxiety, like the OP mentioned. I struggle with social situations in real life, so I use the social aspects of RP (both in character and out) as a sort of practice zone for real life. A mistake or bad decision in character won't hurt me like a real one will, and I can assess a character's good or bad behavior more objectively than my own, so I can experiment and see what works well or doesn't.

Wonderful! I'm not alone in this boat, he. Write on~

 

[Jules8008]

Out of boredom. Also, because I am a huge sucker for gory games and movies. So...most of my RP's involve a lot of blood splatter and breaking bones (If it would only be breaking bones. ).

 

[Elowyn]

Out of boredom. Also, because I am a huge sucker for gory games and movies. So...most of my RP's involve a lot of blood splatter and breaking bones (If it would only be breaking bones. ).

CCREEPSjSS. Major Creeps.

 

[druidcat]

The social aspect of it tbh! If I wanted to write, I could (and do) write by myself. But I miss playing tabletop games & LARPing with friends. My hectic schedule and a shrinking friend group doesn't allow as much of that anymore (when you're in your mid- to late twenties, it's tough to get a group together) so I just go online, where the schedule is a bit more lenient.

 

[Elowyn]

The social aspect of it tbh! If I wanted to write, I could (and do) write by myself. But I miss playing tabletop games & LARPing with friends. My hectic schedule and a shrinking friend group doesn't allow as much of that anymore (when you're in your mid- to late twenties, it's tough to get a group together) so I just go online, where the schedule is a bit more lenient.

Aw, I'm sorry to hear that it gets more difficult to get a group together later in life, miss! It's a shame imo that people don't have as much time/prioritize friendships as much.

LARPing seems fun. I thought about doing it once and my friends were going to do something similar. What's it like? Give me the goods!

 

[Caroline1539]

I roleplay because it's an entertaining exercise for me- it helps me improve my writing style and my personal characterization for OCs I've made. But the true reason I like to do it is because I enjoy digging into characters and learning what makes them tick.

I like to explore a characters motivations and fears, what they cherish and what they don't, and why they do what they do. I like to explore how mental illness can change and affect a character, and how certain characters deal (or don't deal) with their problems. I also like to explore how different types of personalities work, and how to figure out how different ones process situations.

All in all, it's an empathetic exercise for me, because I like figuring out how people work and how to best help them (or to see how they might help themselves). It's also one of catharsis- I have very intense emotions and the characters I've gathered over the years help me burn some of them off.

 

[Elowyn]

I roleplay because it's an entertaining exercise for me- it helps me improve my writing style and my personal characterization for OCs I've made. But the true reason I like to do it is because I enjoy digging into characters and learning what makes them tick.

I like to explore a characters motivations and fears, what they cherish and what they don't, and why they do what they do. I like to explore how mental illness can change and affect a character, and how certain characters deal (or don't deal) with their problems. I also like to explore how different types of personalities work, and how to figure out how different ones process situations.

All in all, it's an empathetic exercise for me, because I like figuring out how people work and how to best help them (or to see how they might help themselves). It's also one of catharsis- I have very intense emotions and the characters I've gathered over the years help me burn some of them off.

Neat!

 

[Slade]

I love writing and telling stories, but I don't have the drive/"attention span" to reliably work on a(n often ambitious) project for an extended period of time. I need constant feedback to get me going, so RP works out perfectly for me because the interactive aspect serves as the "constant feedback" that keeps me from, well, abandoning yet another project.

 

[anxietyrat]

I enjoy weaving stories with others, not to mention, being able to write and hone a craft. Akin to the art of drawing. Neither being where I see myself having a career only because I prefer pursuits medical, but I try to be the best that I can be and strive to improve as well as share with others.

 

[Elowyn]

anxietyrat Admirable, admirable.

 

[Mother Decay]

At first, it was mostly to practice and learn new ways to write and weave entire worlds from nothing. Now, I find it to be a really enjoyable experience, and I don't say no to learning newer things.

 

[Elowyn]

Whoa~ You guys amaze me. I'm surprised this thread is still so active! Glad to hear your thoughtful replies, folks!

 

[Decon_mas]

I role play becuase to me its an improve and it helps with my acting

 

[iFreedawg]

For me role-playing actually produces a fair bit of anxiety and pressure rather then it being a place to escape from it. As a GM I feel a strong responsibility to not only author a compelling scenario, but also enjoy it myself. So why do I do it huh?
Sometimes you have an Idea that has to see the light of day - because it's too good to just hide away. At times like that I like to RP. Maybe I like creating a world with great potential more so then actually playing it out.
Also, when you RP, you must figure out what makes a story engaging for others. It's pretty interesting to observe reactions and subsequently try to figure out what made a story engaging and what tools my partner could use to do something.
It lays my crappy narratives bare, so I can spot and hopefully fix glaring weaknesses, I suppose.

 

[Emi Nebulas]

Even when I was little, I enjoyed writing stories. Heck, I roleplayed with my sister a lot. You obviously know that those characters were Mary/Gary sues, but still, I enjoyed it. I remember when I was roleplaying w/ my best friend, she would always have a super perfect Mary Sue just to make herself feel important, but I would always 1-up her. *wipes tear* good times.

 

[Elowyn]

Even when I was little, I enjoyed writing stories. Heck, I roleplayed with my sister a lot. You obviously know that those characters were Mary/Gary sues, but still, I enjoyed it. I remember when I was roleplaying w/ my best friend, she would always have a super perfect Mary Sue just to make herself feel important, but I would always 1-up her. *wipes tear* good times.

Uwwaah! So sweet~ I remember those good ole days, heke. I would want to copy my friend in whatever she did. It was very sweet times. My friend seemed not to enjoy Mary sues but I'd always want to make it a mary sue.

 

[Elowyn]

For me role-playing actually produces a fair bit of anxiety and pressure rather then it being a place to escape from it. As a GM I feel a strong responsibility to not only author a compelling scenario, but also enjoy it myself. So why do I do it huh?
Sometimes you have an Idea that has to see the light of day - because it's too good to just hide away. At times like that I like to RP. Maybe I like creating a world with great potential more so then actually playing it out.
Also, when you RP, you must figure out what makes a story engaging for others. It's pretty interesting to observe reactions and subsequently try to figure out what made a story engaging and what tools my partner could use to do something.
It lays my crappy narratives bare, so I can spot and hopefully fix glaring weaknesses, I suppose.

Good to hear GM taking responsibility and ownership for their roleplay.

 

[Slade]

Even when I was little, I enjoyed writing stories. Heck, I roleplayed with my sister a lot. You obviously know that those characters were Mary/Gary sues, but still, I enjoyed it. I remember when I was roleplaying w/ my best friend, she would always have a super perfect Mary Sue just to make herself feel important, but I would always 1-up her. *wipes tear* good times.

You haven't gone all the way until you've written a hybrid-of-many-species immortal-as-all-fuck character with black-and-white wings!

 

[Emi Nebulas]

You haven't gone all the way until you've written a hybrid-of-many-species immortal-as-all-fuck character with black-and-white wings!

True.

 

[Zinai]

I've begun to roleplay again in order to let my ideas loose. Technically in my spare time, I've always been thinking of different ideas for stories, characters, etc. I do have the output to write the story, but I've never gotten the motivation to type it up in my computer on my own. So I decided to come and rely on others to help me build the story.

Technically, I got lazy.