Advice/Help Tips for making interest checks

MaceratedMoth

New Member
Roleplay Type(s)
What are your guys' best tips when it comes to interest checks? I have a hard time finding partners and very few people respond to my interest checks, I'm starting to wonder if I'm doing something wrong.

What information do you guys like to see/not like to see in interest checks? Anything you've done that got more people to respond? Thanks in advance!
 
I have a hard time finding partners and very few people respond to my interest checks, I'm starting to wonder if I'm doing something wrong.
After taking a look at your interest checks, I don't see much wrong with the latest ones. They are informative, have a friendly tone, and offer a couple suggestions plot-wise even. I do think some of your approach is a little contradictory to your target audience like:

I would consider myself advanced and my responses can get pretty long! But I average between 2 to 4 good length paragraphs

Describing your count in paragraphs, or having these tiny plot prompts, are not what I would generally recommend if you're trying to appeal to long-length players. On the other hand, saying your "responses can get pretty long" can be intimidating for more casual players. Now, my description may be making this sound like a bigger problem than it really is, but to some extent at least this kind of pokes both audiences.

Aside from that, I think the only issue I could see is that your interests cut a good chunk of the community out, though they certainly don't seem so specific as to have almost no partners:

I try to respond at least once a day and ideally you would too!

Even if you aren't actually demanding it, saying you'd prefer daily posts is enough to make those who can't deliver on such a thing avoid the result. This cuts a large part of the potential takers. Then there's MxM exclusive, which also cuts a majority because the majority of roleplayers tend to prefer female characters (from my experience).


As I don't think these things are such major issues as to lose your whole audience, I think it's likely a matter of timing, luck and the competition of other interest checks. On the other hand, your requests are broad enough that I think you could probably find partners with relative ease if you searched around other people's interest checks, just adapting your plots a little to what the other person wants.




What information do you guys like to see/not like to see in interest checks?

-Info I like to see:
*Logistical Details (post requirements/expectations, IC and OOC location etc...)
*Premise information
*Necessary world information
*Information on one's tastes and interests
*Preferences
*Information on what one really wants at the core of the Rp or writing experience
*Personal or idle information that conveys their passion and/or personality elements that make me want to engage with them as a friend if not as a roleplay partner as well

-Info I Don't Like to See:
*Unnecessary info dumps that get in the way of the point
*Excessive focus on one's own character or equivalent
*Certain unasked for Personal Details
*Rants and other displays of hostility where you are supposed to be inviting
*Politics


Anything you've done that got more people to respond?

Of the things I've tried, a few worked:
-A broad range of well-developed ideas displayed as plots
-Lowering my requirements
-Simply being very active on the site

That being said I'm really not the best person for this as I don't typically aim to have a lot of responses, but to have responses tailored as much as possible to the kind of partners I like to have best.
 
I don't think there's any one right way to make an interest check. Idea's suggestions are great, and I think your interest checks are fine as is. I'd recommend bumping your interest check once per day when it seems like there's a lot of activity on the site. That's what I've done in the past and it's definitely helped, especially when I was a newer member!

Also, because you're newer to the site, you might want to consider including a writing sample or making it known that you're willing to provide one. I usually request them of newer members or people who write exclusively in PMs, because I want to gauge whether or not our styles will even mesh.

Gentle persistence is key c: Good luck!
 
direct message people threatening them if they dont reply to the check and if they dont then send a picture of you in a fighting stance every day until they block you
 
After taking a look at your interest checks, I don't see much wrong with the latest ones. They are informative, have a friendly tone, and offer a couple suggestions plot-wise even. I do think some of your approach is a little contradictory to your target audience like:



Describing your count in paragraphs, or having these tiny plot prompts, are not what I would generally recommend if you're trying to appeal to long-length players. On the other hand, saying your "responses can get pretty long" can be intimidating for more casual players. Now, my description may be making this sound like a bigger problem than it really is, but to some extent at least this kind of pokes both audiences.

Aside from that, I think the only issue I could see is that your interests cut a good chunk of the community out, though they certainly don't seem so specific as to have almost no partners:



Even if you aren't actually demanding it, saying you'd prefer daily posts is enough to make those who can't deliver on such a thing avoid the result. This cuts a large part of the potential takers. Then there's MxM exclusive, which also cuts a majority because the majority of roleplayers tend to prefer female characters (from my experience).


As I don't think these things are such major issues as to lose your whole audience, I think it's likely a matter of timing, luck and the competition of other interest checks. On the other hand, your requests are broad enough that I think you could probably find partners with relative ease if you searched around other people's interest checks, just adapting your plots a little to what the other person wants.






-Info I like to see:
*Logistical Details (post requirements/expectations, IC and OOC location etc...)
*Premise information
*Necessary world information
*Information on one's tastes and interests
*Preferences
*Information on what one really wants at the core of the Rp or writing experience
*Personal or idle information that conveys their passion and/or personality elements that make me want to engage with them as a friend if not as a roleplay partner as well

-Info I Don't Like to See:
*Unnecessary info dumps that get in the way of the point
*Excessive focus on one's own character or equivalent
*Certain unasked for Personal Details
*Rants and other displays of hostility where you are supposed to be inviting
*Politics




Of the things I've tried, a few worked:
-A broad range of well-developed ideas displayed as plots
-Lowering my requirements
-Simply being very active on the site

That being said I'm really not the best person for this as I don't typically aim to have a lot of responses, but to have responses tailored as much as possible to the kind of partners I like to have best.
Thank you!! I appreciate the detailed response and I'll def work on adding these tips into future interest checks!
 

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