Weird Ideas (What else would any idea by Bells be?)

[Bells of Nevermore]

Has anyone just done a thing where they've started a post that's intended to have people jump in at random? I've had reasonable success with doing such a thing. Was just wondering if that's a thing here, or even allowed?

Has anyone ever done a 'Cross-Time Saloon' sort of thing, where the setting is laid out in detail, but anyone from anywhen can rock on in there?

 

[Idea]

Yes, pretty often actually. I would link some to you, but they were never really my cup of tea, so I don’t have those links... but every once in a while an RP like that pops up.

 

[Bells of Nevermore]

I have a big, sprawling fantasy world that I may use that way. Kind of weigning the benefits of that, or of just doing a group RP. My only thing is that it seems like few folks have the attention span needed to keep a group RP going.

 

[Idea]

I have a big, sprawling fantasy world that I may use that way. Kind of weigning the benefits of that, or of just doing a group RP. My only thing is that it seems like few folks have the attention span needed to keep a group RP going.

Well, I'll tell you what I do know about it. It's generally something simple RPs (from the simple, casual, detailed spectrum of detail level) tend to use a lot, and one of the biggest reasons for their success. Their RPs aren't really tavern-type things, but they do have the feature of very easily replacing players, while at the same time players at that detail level just don't tend to be bothered by things like the story lacking cohesion or progress per se. In many I've seen, you can just pop characters in and out as if they'd always been there and nobody would bat an eye. This method makes them able to last a whole lot longer than a lot of other RPs, as it makes it very easy to keep a flow of active players, and those less active also leave just as easily, without impacting the story because there isn't much of one to begin with.

Of course though, that's the price to pay- story. If characters can just keep flowing in then it's just unmanageable to try to make prolonged efforts at any sort of linear narrative, especially because players in such a roleplay are probably more interested in showcasing their characters than they are fitting them into that marging. Involving those characters is even more complicated.

So for such an RP the appeal is more on the variety of characters on it and the freedom it gives in including them.