Hydaelyn Role-Players
Performance Anxiety? - Printable Version

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RE: Performance Anxiety? - Qhora Bajihri - 03-24-2015

(03-23-2015, 07:31 PM)Rila Wrote: but sometimes I visualize a certain gesture or a subtle but meaningful shift in body language, and I want my response to adequately describe exactly what I'm seeing in my head.

I found these while looking at Berrod's... er, well, Berrod. But if description is a problem, maybe these will help?

Tip of My Tongue - Find that word that you've been thinking about all day but just can't seem to remember
OneLook Reverse Dictionary

Not fussing, though, is of course the best approach. Long or short, it's all in the name of fun.


RE: Performance Anxiety? - Gegenji - 03-24-2015

(03-24-2015, 12:55 PM)Vysce the Lad Wrote: Especially when they're rp celebrities like Faye or Erik... I just clam up and log out.

That's a point I think that needs to be made. This is just everyone playing pretend and having a good time. There are no real "celebrities." Sure, there's people that others may recognize more than others but they're no different from anyone else.

Heck, I RP with the likes of Warren and Jancis (and Roen on occasion!), and I can tell you straight up that they're just like the rest of us. Don't see them as unapproachable celebrities - view them as another person you could have fun RPing with. If you ask them nicely like you would anyone else, I'm sure they'd love to have your characters meet.


RE: Performance Anxiety? - Kellach Woods - 03-24-2015

For me it's less performance anxiety (Kell being Kell will cause awkwardness regardless of whether I screw up or not) moreso than not having an "in" most times. A lot of the usual suspects know each other and have been through thick and thin. I've no problems RPing with people I've been with, but when it comes to complete strangers, I've got barely anything in common with them so I have to bank on them approaching me or get no RP.

I mean, I didn't know Aya or anyone from that night, but once I found an in, I just got there, and fun times were had by all.

I just need a hook.

I can only say that I've not had a TON of paragraphs, usually just concentrating on simple gestures and speech, yet there is no problems. Keep in mind I often emote if there's an adequate one, and move adequately. I use my in-game avatar as a way to communicate non-verbally because we have that tool.


RE: Performance Anxiety? - Telluride - 03-24-2015

Nathan has a game he'll play at the Quicksand - he'll volunteer to go up to anyone and start up a conversation, and let that anyone be chosen for him, on the stipulation that the person doing the choosing has to back up whatever angle or story Nate comes up with.

Turning it into an IC dare as well as an OOC dare stirs the blood and makes things happen.


RE: Performance Anxiety? - K'nahli - 03-24-2015

(03-23-2015, 12:24 PM)Rila Wrote: After two months as an active roleplayer on Balmung, this is something I've really struggled with, and I'm wondering if anyone here has the same issue.

I love the idea of RP. I do. I enjoy reading transcripts and hearing about other people's characters, and am excited about the backstories and personalities I've come up myself. It's safe to say that thinking about RP is one of my favorite FFXIV-related past times.

But then I try to actually RP, and that's when it goes to shit.

I'm not a great writer, and when I'm in an RP, I become extremely aware of this fact. I see other people come out with these delightful, interesting and well-written paragraphs in less than a minute and when it's my turn to respond, I panic. It can take me a few minutes to give a satisfactory response, and even then it's not impressive writing. Despite the fact that I've given both my characters a lot of thought, they still seem to come out sounding like caricatures. And the more I panic, the more wooden they seem to sound, the slower my responses tend to get, and the more I panic.

Like logically I know RP is not supposed to be a competition, but it really feels like an exam that I didn't study for a lot of the time.

Does all this sound familiar to anyone? If so, did it get better over time? Have you found anything that helps with this?

This is me all over, especially with characters I haven't RP'd very much or if I have difficulty understanding one(*cough* Andre*cough*). Attempting in-game RP is worst of all since I have little time to react and sometimes, if there has been a bit of a pause, I feel obliged to speak again even if my character wouldn't really have anything to add -expecting the other person to continue.

What's worse is that I am terrible with coming up with conversation irl. That is, with strangers/people I don't know well anyways. So anything more lenient toward carsual encounters or scenes make it difficult because even if my character is supposed to be amiable and chatty... I can't really force that.

Clover Blake is my RP partner and at times I honestly don't know how or why she puts up with me. I can't write nearly as eloquently as her. I tend to make my writing sound forced and clunky by trying to compensate with over-description or technical description(like with movements when I am trying to make sure the read sees exactly what I do)... and that just doesn't work; hers on the other hand always sounds so natural to me. I just don't know how to do it.