Viewpoint Things you wish you'd see more in RPs?

[SP3CT3R]

I've always been way too disorganized to run RPs, so I'm pretty much at the mercy of what the people who are capable of doing so want to RP about, and it's kind of grating having to do similar plots because they're popular. I know this is massively hypocritical of me, complaining about the lack of options for RPs when I'm not contributing anything, but there are several ideas that I want to use but can't and I grow more frusturated by the day. Does anyone else feel similar? Are there things that you wish were more popular on this forum?

For me, I want to see more school RPs that aren't about elite private schools. You don't see any drama from preexisting relationships, cliques, sleepovers, irresponsible use of class knowledge and all of that when everyone's attending to the school to be the best at whatever thing that it's for.

Also, superhero RPs with room for crazy origin stories. I get that having all of the superheroes get their powers from the same place means less balance issues and such, but there are a lot more possible dynamics if your team is made of an alien renegade, a ghost possessing an abstract sculpture, and a reincarnated Mesoamerican goddess.

 

[Crayons]

Political RPs where people scheme, plot and deceive each other, and the players have an actual goal in mind. I've played too many political scenes where someone just throws the dead cat on the table for a reaction.

 

[rae2nerdy]

Platonic 1x1 role plays. Something dealing with family dynamics, coworker rivalries, lifelong friendships, etc.

Also marriage or divorce as a major relationship in the role play. I feel like there is a lot of nuance for growing as a person available when you deal with people learning to live together and keeping their commitment going when the first rush of attraction fades.

Lastly a nice cozy mystery. Which in fairness is really hard to write and does require more planning than even I am interested in doing. But still if I didn’t have to write it all out I think a fun cozy sort of mystery might be nice to read or take part in.

 

[Tove]

More realistic things? I guess that's what you can call it. Anyway. What I mean is roleplays, which might deal with some type of outbreak or survival, where everyone does not have some military background past or present deeming them fit to be some super soldier able to adapt in any situation. Where are the characters that have never been around much less handled a gun? What happens when they use a gun for the first time? Will they even be able to shoot properly? How do they feel after? rather than a first timer knowing exactly how to use a gun automatically.

What about a survival situation without a gun? How about characters using their surroundings?

I have seen a lot of survival roleplays where there's always some soldier or someone comes from a military background, weapon of choice a gun or in other cases characters have superpowers.

 

[Myot]

Platonic 1x1 role plays. Something dealing with family dynamics, coworker rivalries, lifelong friendships, etc.

Also marriage or divorce as a major relationship in the role play. I feel like there is a lot of nuance for growing as a person available when you deal with people learning to live together and keeping their commitment going when the first rush of attraction fades.

Lastly a nice cozy mystery. Which in fairness is really hard to write and does require more planning than even I am interested in doing. But still if I didn’t have to write it all out I think a fun cozy sort of mystery might be nice to read or take part in.

The whole romance thing annoys me. True love is not based on physical attraction. After all that fades in time. Experience together is really what matters.
I love the idea of forced alliances. You know, being forced by circumstances to work with someone you utterly despise or the very least don't trust. Building trust in time.
Prejudices based on races, ethnic group - you don't really know them from personal experience but have learned that they are scum and you would naturally be cautious of such an individual.

 

[still watching fma]

I dont feel similarly. I suffer to see my ideas come to fruition. I find that most gms tend to be too cautious for me to have fun.

Oh.....a fantasy setting where it's not survival based, but we still have to be ordinary humans using ordinary tools...

So yea. Dont make excuses. Suffer for your ideas or stop wanting to see certain things lol

 

[SP3CT3R]

I dont feel similarly. I suffer to see my ideas come to fruition. I find that most gms tend to be too cautious for me to have fun.

Oh.....a fantasy setting where it's not survival based, but we still have to be ordinary humans using ordinary tools...

So yea. Dont make excuses. Suffer for your ideas or stop wanting to see certain things lol

I'm fucking neurodivergent. I literally can't GM an RP, I've tried.

 

[still watching fma]

I'm fucking neurodivergent. I literally can't GM an RP, I've tried.

Neurowhat

 

[SP3CT3R]

Neurowhat

I'm autistic, ADD, and who knows what else.

 

[still watching fma]

I'm autistic, ADD, and who knows what else.

Rping is pretty hard. You have to focus long enough to write 1-3 paragraphs about an imaginary character. Who has a life of its own(background, present day aspirations, and dreams) I think you can manage if you get help from a friend on the forums and off the forums.

 

[SP3CT3R]

Rping is pretty hard. You have to focus long enough to write 1-3 paragraphs about an imaginary character. Who has a life of its own(background, present day aspirations, and dreams) I think you can manage if you get help from a friend on the forums and off the forums.

I'm not open to discussing this. Please stop talking about it.

 

[still watching fma]

I'm not open to discussing this. Please stop talking about it.

I dont care what you do, but you did make a thread about this.

 

[Task]

Most people who RP do so as an escape, atleast in what I've been told over the years. It's natural that many would want to make their characters slightly unrealistic in a variety of environments: it reminds me of playing a lot of the older JRPG/RPG of past.

If I had to make a list of things I'd like to see more, it would be:

1. The willingness to diverge from the norm and try different things. It seems most people develop a comfort zone, or something that's familiar to them, and usually stick with it. You can usually spot the tropes someone has used across a multitude of RP. This is more prevalent in omniverse RP than anything, but this is also subjective. The reason it's something I'd like to see, however, is that most RPers (especially younger players) seem to follow the same archetype for their characters, and are unwilling to be anything that isn't the cool-bad ass protagonist type. As someone who reads a lot of literature, I find most people's character's (atleast their personalities, their abilities and weapons are another story...) one dimensional.

2. I'd like to see more original RPs created rather than RP that is themed around an existing intellectual property. This is a personal gripe, and as someone who committed to hiddenvillage.net (an old 00's Naruto forum), while there's obviously fun to be had and a system that only needs tweaking: I find original properties even if simple a lot more alluring.

3. The willingness to commit to a RP/writing project over the course of years. I think too often an RP lasts for a few months at best and then dies, only to be replaced, etc. A group that I originate from had a long-running RP that's still going on to this day, and has been since about 2001. The level of depth and gratification it brings, the depth of the characters, the depth of the story itself feels unparalleled. The world building, the lore, etc. Most in this generation I don't think will ever experience that, and it's something I hope can become more of a trend moving forward for those who truly love RP.

Just what comes to mind at the moment.

 

[SP3CT3R]

I dont care what you do, but you did make a thread about this.

I made a thread asking what people wished was more popular on this forum, NOT the personal problems that cause me to be unable to properly host an RP.

Now drop it or else.

 

[Tove]

I made a thread asking what people wished was more popular on this forum, NOT the personal problems that cause me to be unable to properly host an RP.

Now drop it or else.

Just don't reply to them anymore. You're not obligated to answer.

 

[Comicwolf]

I wish there was more roleplayers that could rp not just the main character perfectly but the other characters too along side you. That way your not the only one who has to rp your character, all villians or creatures

While they only rp one.

 

[welian]

I'd love to see more sci-fi roleplays around here! Fantasy is always the most popular genre, I get that, but like.... I want to see more giant robots, you know? More space pirates. Robot uprisings and shit like that. Do fantasy RPs even have corrupt CEOs? Is that a thing?

And walk-in RPs! Character sheets, plot? Where we're going, we don't need those. Just improv skills and a sense of whimsy!

 

[SP3CT3R]

I'd love to see more sci-fi roleplays around here! Fantasy is always the most popular genre, I get that, but like.... I want to see more giant robots, you know? More space pirates. Robot uprisings and shit like that. Do fantasy RPs even have corrupt CEOs? Is that a thing?

And walk-in RPs! Character sheets, plot? Where we're going, we don't need those. Just improv skills and a sense of whimsy!

Ayy lmao to that. I really want to do some of the common fantasy plots (school, adventurers' guild) but with aliens and stuff.

And I haven't seen walk-ins since back when I frequented MLP circles. Not sure how well it'd go down here, though.

 

[CecilDMMasters]

I'd like to see more people willing to mix up science fiction and fantasy together. Also more 1 x 1 people willing to play more than one character each.

 

[Jannah]

I really want a gritty and realistic historical military RP, possibly based around WW I or II. I love the idea of a bunch of fresh recruits bonding on the battlefield and such. It seems most people don't want realistic when it comes to military themed RP's, though. I've seen plenty of sci-fi and fantasy ones, but nothing realistic.

 

[Jannah]

I'd like to see more people willing to mix up science fiction and fantasy together. Also more 1 x 1 people willing to play more than one character each.

I'm primarily a 1x1 RPer and I love playing multiple characters. It gives the stories more depth.

 

[CecilDMMasters]

I'm primarily a 1x1 RPer and I love playing multiple characters. It gives the stories more depth.

It does help with story building and can allow for plot points to happen that get boring otherwise if someone is only playing one character. Your character is traumatized? Okay,while we do that how about we keep other things moving by splitting up the story. Or while they go and visit their parents on a soul search we can do a second plot to handle that thing we set up that wouldn't make sense freezing for two weeks?

I can deal with a plot point I secretly think is tedious but of great importance to my partner as long as the person is willing to keep multiple scenarios. But people who only play one character often seem to trap me in things that are like . . . they could write this in a short story and I read it later. Why is my character here. . . .

 

[Jannah]

It does help with story building and can allow for plot points to happen that get boring otherwise if someone is only playing one character. Your character is traumatized? Okay,while we do that how about we keep other things moving by splitting up the story. Or while they go and visit their parents on a soul search we can do a second plot to handle that thing we set up that wouldn't make sense freezing for two weeks?

I can deal with a plot point I secretly think is tedious but of great importance to my partner as long as the person is willing to keep multiple scenarios. But people who only play one character often seem to trap me in things that are like . . . they could write this in a short story and I read it later. Why is my character here. . . .

In one of my RP's now I'm kind of at the point where I need to begin introducing more characters to keep the story flowing. Usually when I do multiple characters I introduce them as they're needed. It very much helps to build a story that feels more real rather than a one-sided monologue.

 

[Tove]

I love playing multiple characters too. There has never been a time when I just play one character.

 

[CecilDMMasters]

I love playing multiple characters too. There has never been a time when I just play one character.

Yes, it can get rather dull, and kind of . . . I guess forced might be a good word, when in a long term all the incidents have to somehow find their way to one person. It makes more sense at times to have a character come in to introduce a plot point instead of the "someone is a mcguffen magnet. "

Or if someone gets hurt why not realize the group needs a healer instead of someone suddenly having healing talent because the plot demands it.