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+--- Thread: What makes for good RP? (/showthread.php?tid=5140)
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What makes for good RP? - Magellan - 10-18-2013
We've all been there.
We find ourselves in a scene where we don't know what's going on, there's a lot of chaos and activity that has nothing to do with your character, and while it may seem exciting, you lack the context to properly interpret or make any sense of whats going on.
It's like picking up a book, flipping to chapter X, and trying to follow the plot despite skipping chapters I-IX.
Thankfully, the RP community is as diverse and creative as a library full of books. If you don't like or don't understand one tale, there are dozens of others to choose from. I want to know what constitutes in people's minds quality RP. Do you like group settings? Meeting random folks? One on one sessions?
Do you like completely freeform RP with no plot discussed beforehand? Or do you prefer a more controlled environment where several are working towards the same goal?
What, in your mind, makes for good RP? What successes have you found? What are some tactics you have deployed to create meaningful and memorable scenes?
*coughs* Please keep it positive! I'm expecting a ton of different types of RP styles to be represented here, and all of them are correct!
RE: What makes for good RP? - FreelanceWizard - 10-18-2013
So... the only thing that makes RP explicitly bad (as opposed to "not my thing") is when it's not done with respect for your fellow players. In the context of RP, that means ignoring consent, and practically, it means bad RP involves nonconsensual metagaming, godmoding, and powerposing, as well as all of their various permutations. With those cardinal sins eliminated, all other RP is by definition good.
In terms of my personal preferences, I enjoy pretty much any type of RP in moderation -- one-on-one, large events, complex plots, conflict RP, and more. I particularly like it when people I don't know jump in and get involved, because that shakes things up. I'm not a big fan of situations with massive chat scroll, because it tends to make it hard for me to follow, nor do I particularly enjoy running massive events.
RE: What makes for good RP? - Olofantur - 10-18-2013
I second Freelances' statement and would like to expand on a point.
An additional type of RP that I find a bit bemusing, is exclusionary without reason. Twelve knows you can use a whole host of reasons not to interact with an individual, Racism, drastically different world views, bad blood, prior engagements. And so long as these reasons are provided I haven't an issue, but offhanded dismissal I find mildly infuriating.
I'm hardly one to talk, i'm picky and temperamental, I can be slow, or argumentative, but I think this is still an experience worth having. I try to make an effort to at least acknowledge anyone who approaches me, even a "My apologies, but i'm currently committed to a task." Before dashing off (I think) can make the difference between the start of a relation and cold indifference.
Not that cold indifference is a bad thing in character, but context is everything. Things I like? all of it really, I enjoy stories, all of them, even if they aren't my normal genre. An interesting concept, a willingness to throw yourself into something, they all make it feel more alive to me.
Just my 2gil,
RE: What makes for good RP? - Vito - 10-18-2013
Those are both very good points. RPers should always have the respect to at least acknowledge another player's presence. I'm not saying that everyone needs to approach said person ICly at once, regardless of what your character would actually do, but in reality even if someone you don't like enters the room; you still notice they're present.Â
Personally, I like RPing with a small, consistent group. Random encounters in between main story-lines keeps things interesting. However, the urge to write also comes and goes randomly.Â
I misunderstood the original post, when it was said "What makes for good RP", because I was going to be like, "Lots music, kratom tea, and late hours".
RE: What makes for good RP? - Lament - 10-18-2013
Yup, respect to your fellow players is my only general rule for good RP vs bad RP.
I also agree that it's at least courteous to acknowledge someone new coming in - even if my character is likely to ignore them completely, I tend to at least emote that my character is unaware/ignoring/uncaring of the new person in the conversation - or, depending, send the player a /tell to say they're welcome to join in. If my character is hostile for any reason, I also like to communicate OOC to say my character is an ass, but you're welcome to interact. I also tend to check in advance/ask for permission when my character is likely to rudely butt into a conversation, since that can be pretty disruptive.
It's only polite, and you could be helping a new person still trying to fit in! No matter how rude your character is IC, there's no reason to be an ass OOC.
That said, I'm with Vito - I prefer small, consistent groups, with some occasional random interaction to spice things up. I generally start by throwing all my characters around to find interactions with good chemistry, then narrow things down to a group of steady relationships. I also love little ongoing storylines - helps character grow closer together (or hate each other more!) and I thrive on character relationships. I like my characters to grow with and through others.
RE: What makes for good RP? - allgivenover - 10-18-2013
For me, you can only really be bad at RP when (as others here have said already) you don't respect common courtesy and RP etiquette.
Really good RP though? In my opinion it's when RP is treated as a shared narrative rather than individual wish fulfillment.
RE: What makes for good RP? - Olofantur - 10-18-2013
(10-18-2013, 01:38 PM)allgivenover Wrote: Really good RP though? In my opinion it's when RP is treated as a shared narrative rather than individual wish fulfillment.
Seconded. A collaborative effort made to show growth, induce change and provide opportunities. (Be they positive or negative in character.)
RE: What makes for good RP? - Dubs - 10-18-2013
I think it's important to practice what you preach. At times I wonder if some people spend more time analyzing RP than actually RPing to the point where they can't justify their character getting involved in anything and then sit back and cross examine those that attempted to include them in the creative process.
Whether it be a questionable theme or whether or not someone hasn't fleshed out their character concept and jumped into a scene prematurely without knowing who their character really is, it should be communicated that they need an out. In truth you need reliable people to RP. Expectations start evolving and then people get let down and question the reliability of that individual. This is how a lot of cliques form. Multi-level plots are difficult to balance if the supporting cast doesn't want to participate anymore because they have migrated over to another plot that they think fits their character more all the while possibly derailing the other one. It's just a common discourtesy that I see happen all too frequently.
RE: What makes for good RP? - Val - 10-18-2013
I prefer entirely free-form RP. Knowing what's going to happen makes me feel like I've already read to the back of the book and saw the ending. Not knowing, to me, is just as fun (if not more fun) as RPing getting there. Even better when the favor goes against your character and the character him/herself grows from the experience. All in all, it's wonderful. I'm not entirely against planned out events, mind you. Sometimes, if we want our character to reach a certain point, we really don't have much choice.
I'm going to bring up WoW simply because I used to RP there quite often. The server I was on had an IC council for which my character served as a bodyguard on and, quite often, would stalk the streets (rogue) to try and find villains and others doing things they shouldn't be. Most of them were entirely open to the idea of someone stumbling on them, though I certainly made sure to ask "Hey, do you mind if I get involved or would there be no way to see what's happening?"--you know, doors and such.
Back in those days, there was no shortage of villains and villainy. I truly believe that, as far as dramatic RP goes, it's really a necessity. Now, I don't mean villains as in the kind that simply try to destroy the continent/world/realm/reality/everythinginexistencemuwahaha. Any sort of antagonist to your character's desires/wishes, to me, is a GREAT addition! A guy trying to take their girl, someone that likes to show up and just be mean/ruin the character's day, etc. It's fun and thoroughly enjoyable. To be honest, I get bored when all the characters do is stand around and talk without some sort of eventual conflict.
Overall, as the others have already stated, I strongly feel that you must respect the other individuals and show courtesy to them. I have zero problems with people RPing villains with his/her own personal agenda so long as the person playing the villain knows that it might not fly with everyone else, and that's fine. Simply avoid those people and spend time with those that do want to be involved. After all, it's a pretty large world out there.
That's just my personal view! A lot of people don't want/need that kind of RP, but for me it adds a nice spice to things =)
RE: What makes for good RP? - IncubusManatee - 10-18-2013
Varying styles appeal to me. Nothing really is excluded. I find RP enjoyable when everyone can enjoy themselves, and intermingle without one side getting all the attention and the other lacking.Â
No one likes being ignored. No one likes being the odd-man-out.Â
I try to make sure no one has to go through that, since I have been there before! And I am pretty sure many others have as well. Approaching RP is hard, and I try to approach others with it-break that ice for them.
That's really when I have fun.Â
Breaking that ice and getting everyone involved.Â
![[Image: download7_zpsd5faf40a.jpg]](http://i1323.photobucket.com/albums/u598/Punchd/download7_zpsd5faf40a.jpg)
Is there a specific RP style I prefer though? Or group setting? Hm. Nope. Anything is good.
RE: What makes for good RP? - Magellan - 10-18-2013
(10-18-2013, 02:51 PM)IncubusManatee Wrote: Varying styles appeal to me. Nothing really is excluded. I find RP enjoyable when everyone can enjoy themselves, and intermingle without one side getting all the attention and the other lacking.Â
No one likes being ignored. No one likes being the odd-man-out.Â
I try to make sure no one has to go through that, since I have been there before! And I am pretty sure many others have as well. Approaching RP is hard, and I try to approach others with it-break that ice for them.
That's really when I have fun.Â
Breaking that ice and getting everyone involved.Â
Is there a specific RP style I prefer though? Or group setting? Hm. Nope. Anything is good.
Then we are very much alike in this regard =) I love being an icebreaker
RE: What makes for good RP? - Freemoon - 10-18-2013
(10-18-2013, 11:40 AM)Magellan Wrote: Do you like completely freeform RP with no plot discussed beforehand? Or do you prefer a more controlled environment where several are working towards the same goal?
Most of the time I prefer to just have freeform RP, but I do like the occasional plot/event to throw a little spice into the mix. Â There is a lot of opportunity for a plot/event to create character developments that might be difficult to work into a regular freeform RP session.
RE: What makes for good RP? - K'nahli - 10-18-2013
I am open to most forms of RP, kinda dependent on the character really. What I don't like about group RP(larger groups really) is when there are a couple of players whose character I don't agree to(and by that I mean their actions/progression). Normally you can decide that they wont be considered as part of your story, although in large group settings you are somewhat bound to accept everything.
Also I have found myself becoming increasingly bothered by private RP in-game. Its nice to be able to read on-going scenes but the whole exclusionary tactic is really disheartening to see. I noticed a group of RPers in Limsa a couple of weeks back who were all standing atop a tower/staircase-styled thing. Naturally I stopped since it peaked my interest. I had no intention of joining but it was one of those curious moments. They were, however, using party chat. No-one else was even around so I didn't quite understand it.
Anyways, I participate in random scenes with people I don't know and seek to coordinate scenes with people that I do. I like to have a general direction for each of my characters to be going so that I can build a solid and consistent RP-style for them and feel that I am working towards something, but I am well open to the goals/end objectives changing and being warped constantly of course.
Really though, I like maintaining a closer RP with people I know well. My friend whom I followed to this game for RP is my main purpose really as I adore her RP-style and character creation/development. Sometimes I feel guilty imposing my own characters upon her stories but I am horrible in that way I must admit haha >w< I treat it as a sort of core RP. Everything with everyone else matters of course, but core RP is what I look forward to most(?) Does that make me bad in some sense? ;; Would some see that as ill-mannered RP coordinating?
Quote:Faye
Usually, I like freeform RP--to let things go as they will with the flow, to have our character react naturally and entirely how they would, to have surprises and anticipation. However, interesting plot ideas often involve needing to get a character from point A to point B, so sometimes planning is necessary and helpful. That being said, I think pre-planned ideas are certainly useful so long as every detail is not planned and things are left flexible.
Another thing that makes RP enjoyable is good writing--writing that is clear, descriptive, and engaging; writing that isn't constantly tripping me up with typos, misspellings, and grammatical errors. But that being said, I would rather endure bad writing than bad content. If I had to choose between someone who spelled poorly but had respect for other role-players and engaging characters or someone who wrote wonderfully but was boring and rude, I would take the worse writer with no hesitance.
And this!
RE: What makes for good RP? - Faye - 10-18-2013
As has already been mentioned, the key to all good RP is for all role-players involved to have respect for each other, meaning no nonconsensual god-modding, powerplaying, metagaming, etc. But aside from that, for me, variety is the spice of life! I like to have a healthy dose of each genre. I like to have both group RP and one-on-one RP. I like to meet new people, but I also like to RP with people I already know to progress our plots and develop our characters. Usually, I like freeform RP--to let things go as they will with the flow, to have our character react naturally and entirely how they would, to have surprises and anticipation. However, interesting plot ideas often involve needing to get a character from point A to point B, so sometimes planning is necessary and helpful. That being said, I think pre-planned ideas are certainly useful so long as every detail is not planned and things are left flexible.
Another thing that makes RP enjoyable is good writing--writing that is clear, descriptive, and engaging; writing that isn't constantly tripping me up with typos, misspellings, and grammatical errors. But that being said, I would rather endure bad writing than bad content. If I had to choose between someone who spelled poorly but had respect for other role-players and engaging characters or someone who wrote wonderfully but was boring and rude, I would take the worse writer with no hesitance.
Editing to add: The above post reminded me that I hate private RP, which is relevant to the topic. I think it's terrible for the community and a product of xenophobia in most situations. The entire point, at least to me, of role-playing in MMO's is to feel like my character is a part of a real world and community. That being said, if she's standing around in town talking to someone, I like to have the possibility of others interacting, interrupting, eavesdropping, etc. I think private RP is best only utilized in intimate situations, or in situations where the characters really would be alone and out of sight (inside someone's house, inside an inn room, and the like). I really dislike the idea of standing around in public only to RP in party/tells/LS.
RE: What makes for good RP? - TheLastCandle - 10-18-2013
You know, I'm extremely hesitant to call any sort of RP 'bad.' There are bad practices, but I feel like none of them are anything that can't be corrected in time. Things I find jarring are poor grammar (unless it's intentional because of the type of character - emotes should still require some grammatical effort, and I don't even mean common things like misuse of they're/their/there and the like), improper or nonexistent punctuation and capitalization, and blatantly ignoring well-established lore.
I tend to overlook the grammatical stuff. As a former English major, I cringe when I see it, but I understand that we have a number of players who don't speak English as a first language. So, really, out of those, the only thing that I will attempt to educate on is in respect to the lore. My personal philosophy on everything else is "live and let live."