Experiences Whats making you angry today? Rp pet peeves

[Chordling]

Scrolling Pinterest for HOURS and still not finding images you want.

 

[nerdy tangents]

Scrolling Pinterest for HOURS and still not finding images you want.

What kind of images? I

 

[A Sparkling Zombie]

Hmm ... people who respond to an Group Interest Check (Accepting) with "I am soooo Interested." Then they never post a character.

People who post a character to a Group RP ... and never post. (Especially when the character fills a critical slot in a structured group - like the crew of a ship)

People who post once in a group RP, but never again ...

Eh, no doubt some people are fickle, but there can be other reasons for walking away. For me, personally, joining a group is a multi-faceted process:

Can I at least accept all of the characters being in the roleplay and that mine may have to interact with them? The reality is that, in most groups, not everyone is going to cater to everyone else's personal preferences. I'm okay with that truth and being flexible, but if there are those rare deterrents, or if a deal-breaker appears after I already joined, then yeah, I'ma bounce.

If there is a Discord server, then when I join it, is my greeting received sociably by those who are online, or would I have better luck befriending the tumbleweed? If people in the group can't be bothered with basic friendliness, what other social issues are going to arise?

What are the personalities in the OOC? Do I think I can gel with at least half of them, or will I be a cat in a rocking chair store?

Does the GM show that they are capable of leading the roleplay, at least IC if not OOC? Or if the game is a sandbox, do the players show they are interested in IC drama, or do they seem to only be plotting cutesy stuff? Not knocking people who thrive on the latter; it just doesn't suit my preferences and I'll know there's no point.

Am I having luck creating my character? Sometimes the initial spark is better than the implementation, and maybe no other concept speaks to me that I can fall back on.

All that said, it is a crappy move to ghost if one has taken a special role or their character has appeared in the IC thread. But the reality is that many people are selfish and spiteful and aren't going to consider, or may even relish, how their actions impact the group they leave behind. We can't control what other people do, only ourselves and how we react to the situation.

I have seen one way of handling posting that can at least minimize the damage that ghosting and inactivity causes. The GM posts and communicates when they will next post. Even if only one or two players have responded, they have to make the post by that date to show they can keep their word. There isn't even a set posting order. Players can use common sense, but the idea is that everyone just has to post before the next GM post, no matter the order, or they lose their chance to react that round.

The game where I was introduced to this has lasted for 1.5 years and is still going strong. I tried it in one of my own games, and it's lasted for four months so far, when it otherwise might have died during the three periods where one player or the other was preoccupied for weeks at a time, or hasn't shown the same level of commitment/interest as the others.

This way, only the GM has the power to slow down a group. It's not entirely equal, but that's kinda how it should be. They're the ringleader. It maintains momentum and can actually make it more convenient for each player, because while one might be able to post early in the round, something might come up later that keeps them from posting when it otherwise might have been their turn, and then the group is stuck waiting for another week.

It's better to disgruntle the slow bean than it is to also lose the activity of the 2+ other players, because once that momentum is lost, it's hard to regain, because if we're being honest, most players have already started looking for another endeavor once things have slowed.

Obviously, this isn't a one-size-fits-all solution, and there are many factors involved in a group that may result in its demise, but maybe it can help some GMs.

Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk!

 

[Mitheral]

Ah, yes. This can also come in the form of what I like to call, the "reiteration post". In this case, the other person basically rephrases all the stuff you just finished posting, but from their character's perspective. So while it looks like they wrote a lot, all they did was repeat your post. And then they add a couple of sentences at the end to make what is actually their contribution.

It's like, bruh... how dumb do you think I am? You think that's being sneaky or something? I know what you're doing. If you can't actually contribute your own ideas, then what are you even doing writing with other people?

You call it reiteration. I call it regurgitation.

 

[Inno]

I know someone mentioned it fairly recently here, I just forgot who.
It happened to me plenty times before and also recently elsewhere. But matching post length for the sake of matching length and nothing more. I did a reasonably long starter to not only introduce my character but the world and scene. The other person did no lie over 1,000 words of describing a library that had nothing to do with anything. Their character was standing outside of said library and no one was going to meet there at all. Point is. They just added unnecessary fluff to match and did a paragraph about their character. Like bruh. Seriously?

 

[Coco Adel]

Okay I got 3

1. Possessive partners that get upset when you bump the interest check they replied to. I am allowed to have more than one partner. Just because I bump the thread, doesn't mean that I am no longer interested in roleplaying with you, I just might want to RP one of the other scenarios you weren't interested in with someone who is. If you ghost me because I have another partner if you start getting short with me because I have another partner it's not gonna make me feel bad, that is some psycho shit and I ain't got time.

2. Just because I bump the thread to find a new partner or read our RP frequently doesn't mean that I am passive-aggressively rushing you, again I am allowed t have more than one partner, and typically if I read our RP, no it isn't to check when you last looked at it, I just tend to like to reread the RP because A. I like story so far and B. So I don't forget what's happened.

3. Someone who has clearly ghosted me, looking at my interest check...for the same RP they ghosted me on, like what is your purpose? I know you don't think I'm about to accept you a second time.

 

[BestHelicopter]

People who respond with "so what are your ideas" when you specifically state you would like for someone else to create the setting for a change and not have to make the whole RP.

To be fair, how can you create a setting when you don't know what they like? Having some idea of direction is essential.

I wouldn't want to write up a whole idea about a modern realistic crime thriller only to find out you don't like modern roleplays and want a historical fantasy or something

 

[Mitheral]

To be fair, how can you create a setting when you don't know what they like? Having some idea of direction is essential.

I wouldn't want to write up a whole idea about a modern realistic crime thriller only to find out you don't like modern roleplays and want a historical fantasy or something

Well, in my own interest check I DO give a very good idea what I am looking for. I don't just post some vague "Hi, I wanna roleplay." LOL.

 

[BackSet]

Why in the name of all that is holy do people not read the OP! I'm like "Hey, I want you to send your CSes to me for approval before posting them" but instead they post them directly in the CS thread. Why!

 

[Coco Adel]

Now I don't play canon characters noting against it just don't trust my ability to play a pre-established character accurately. However, I cannot stand when people choose to play canon characters they clearly have a hate boner for just to shit on them. Like they portray them in the worst way possible and that's saying something when I who doesn't have faith in my ability to play a canon character know you're fucking it up. Like we get it, you don't like this character, no one made you play this character, you did that to yourself, no one thinks you're cool, no one thinks you're funny we just think you are sad and annoying.

 

[Inno]

Now I don't play canon characters noting against it just don't trust my ability to play a pre-established character accurately. However, I cannot stand when people choose to play canon characters they clearly have a hate boner for just to shit on them. Like they portray them in the worst way possible and that's saying something when I who doesn't have faith in my ability to play a canon character know you're fucking it up. Like we get it, you don't like this character, no one made you play this character, you did that to yourself, no one thinks you're cool, no one thinks you're funny we just think you are sad and annoying.

Damn, that's a thing? I don't play canons or much of fandoms but why even do that in the first place?

 

[Coco Adel]

Damn, that's a thing? I don't play canons or much of fandoms but why even do that in the first place?

I don't know, I know some people like to play canon characters, I will say I mostly see it in fandom RP if the GM has a first come first serve rule, basically meaning whoever asks to play x canon character first gets to play them and no one else, but sometimes I see people play canon characters outside of fandom mostly so they give their character a bunch of feats without working for them but not all people who play canon are bad that's not what I'm saying.

But yes, that's a thing, don't ask me why they do it, I personally don't understand why anyone would want to play a character that they hate, but I've seen it multiple times. Example we were doing a Naruto RP at one point and this girl chose to play Sakura, now I know hating in Sakura is a meme at this point but this girl played Sakura was like the most annoying confrontational person ever just so all our characters would hate her and get her as kicked so she could laugh about it in OOC and talk about how much she deserved it and that's what should have been done to her in the show.

 

[Melpomene]

I don't know, I know some people like to play canon characters, I will say I mostly see it in fandom RP if the GM has a first come first serve rule, basically meaning whoever asks to play x canon character first gets to play them and no one else, but sometimes I see people play canon characters outside of fandom mostly so they give their character a bunch of feats without working for them but not all people who play canon are bad that's not what I'm saying.

But yes, that's a thing, don't ask me why they do it, I personally don't understand why anyone would want to play a character that they hate, but I've seen it multiple times. Example we were doing a Naruto RP at one point and this girl chose to play Sakura, now I know hating in Sakura is a meme at this point but this girl played Sakura was like the most annoying confrontational person ever just so all our characters would hate her and get her as kicked so she could laugh about it in OOC and talk about how much she deserved it and that's what should have been done to her in the show.

I wonder if it is the same reason why people will write fanfiction and write a character they obviously hate as the most egregious and despicable version of them ever. Like they took every single one of the character's flaws and turned it up to 100.

And it is almost like... weird. Like... why do you hate a fictional character (who often really did not do anything that bad) so much? So much that you... decide to write with them and play as them? It's so weird.

 

[Coco Adel]

I wonder if it is the same reason why people will write fanfiction and write a character they obviously hate as the most egregious and despicable version of them ever. Like they took every single one of the character's flaws and turned it up to 100.

And it is almost like... weird. Like... why do you hate a fictional character (who often really did not do anything that bad) so much? So much that you... decide to write with them and play as them? It's so weird.

You know the funny thing is. I didn't like Sakura either at that time, but she 100% dialed up all her bad traits to 100. Like Sakura was annoying in part 1 to me but this was just...oh my God I couldn't stand it and it didn't make me dislike Sakura more it made me dislike this girl.

But yeah I've noticed that in fanfiction too, to the point they will make the character be a straight up vile criminal because they don't like them. Like this person I remember made the Akatsuki into rapists like....they're already mass murderers was that really necessary?

 

[Scoundrel]

People who only follow the letter of a roleplay's rules, but not the spirit.

 

[Inno]

Elitist people. Not the ones who provide and may ask for writing samples as far as compatibility goes but the ones who have allegedly so called published stuff, allegedly taken whatever advanced writing class is out there and feel the need to offer unsolicited advice about how roleplay works. How roleplayers should roleplay according to them.
They feel their opinions are absolute and everything else is beneath them.

 

[Myu]

In fantasy/adventurer RP, people who can't figure out why their character should care about a quest the rest of the party is currently highly invested in doing, and keep having their character constantly urge the rest of the party to drop it and go on that character's personal quest. Like, once or twice is totally fine to let people know where your character's head is at, but when it's constantly brought up, it just gets annoying. I get that it's "in character," but RP is also a collaborative social thing so you have to consider that aspect too.

Also, it's easy to think of justifications for your character to be engaged in the quest everyone else wants to do in a fantasy genre. It's as simple as saying that your personal quest will be dangerous so first you need to get stronger or acquire more resources or form a deeper bond with some comrades because you know you can't do it alone...or maybe you just want to look out for the party members you've fought alongside? And as a player, maybe you should trust that the group has heard you and will get to your personal quest soon?

I may be angry because when this person said they couldn't think of a reason for their character to care, I gave them a list of potential reasons, and then a week later they said they still couldn't come up with anything... Like, work with me here...

 

[AstroBeans]

Not today but an personal experience with roleplaying over the two years I been roleplaying.

It's when people become OP and no sort of balance or add random powers that is not listed on sheet and not asking me if I am okay with it.

 

[Mitheral]

Not even sure how to describe the pet peeve I find myself in. I'll describe a similar case, one that happened about 30 years ago in a TT rpg.

We had a group of superheroes. The GM had his special favorite NPC superheroine (based on X-Men's Rogue). My character was in the lead of the group in a fairly narrow passage. We got to the top of a building and I suspected a trap. Just being cautious I ordered the group to hold. I literally had the strength to hold the whole group back using the magic weapon I had in hand and had used it to block their movement.

Well, the GM had his special NPC push through anyways ... and get herself shot and captured. Plot device. The whole group protested. I tried to pull the GM aside and explain to him that if he wanted a plot device like that, all he had to do was say something.

It was too late. The whole group quit the game.

Today I found myself pointing out flaws in a series of events that set up a scenario. I agreed ... plot device. But it meant the group having made mistakes no group with their experience should make. (Being told to destroy something inside something ... and not looking to make sure the thing to be destroyed was there. How many times have we seen plots like this brought to us by Hollywood?)

But I honestly couldn't see anyway for the ensuing scenario to start without the first one happening. So ... yeah. Plot device. It works.

Folks took offense anyways.

 

[sevyn]

"you have to start the roleplay off" mm... very demanding and annoying, i hate it. it's even more annoying when there's some lame ass excuse for why. how about just nicely asking?

 

[Nicodemus.]

Sometimes, I forget that this is supposed to be a fun hobby and get stuck overthinking it/attempting to perfect every detail (posts, character sheets, the story I'm trying to tell, etc). And then I wonder why I get burned out so quickly.

 

[Inno]

"you have to start the roleplay off" mm... very demanding and annoying, i hate it. it's even more annoying when there's some lame ass excuse for why. how about just nicely asking?

Yeah, if there's a demand to start the roleplay I just don't respond. Being demanding won't get you anywhere.

 

[Waterbelon]

Ghosting :')

Losing interest in an rp and leaving or dropping it is fine, or having no time to continue an rp. But some notice at the very least would be nice. Like even a "Hey, I'm sorry I can't continue this rp, thanks for the time though!"

 

[Stray Cat]

"you have to start the roleplay off" mm... very demanding and annoying, i hate it. it's even more annoying when there's some lame ass excuse for why. how about just nicely asking?

Biggest. Pet. Peeve.
I had a partner who once told me she couldn't start our roleplay because she was watching something "important" on television. Uh, okay.

 

[nerdy tangents]

Biggest. Pet. Peeve.
I had a partner who once told me she couldn't start our roleplay because she was watching something "important" on television. Uh, okay.

Had the opposite issue where people refused to open a roleplay. I was like hey my mom just had surgery could you maybe start us off?

And the person threw a giant fit. And I was like well fine fuck you too then I’m out.