Hydaelyn Role-Players
Request for RP Advice - Printable Version

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Request for RP Advice - Trishelle - 11-12-2017

Hello all! I'm finding myself in a bit of an impasse when it comes to RP in general. I have been craving it lately, which can probably be attributed to me wanting to write, but have not been able to find anything consistent. I've had others tell me that halting my RP efforts on Balmung was an unwise decision, but considering that I've encountered so many negative experiences on there, I feel that my decision was valid.

I have now been trying to RP on a few other servers, as well as my main on Ultros, and I either catch what few RP partners I have at a bad time, no one's as excited as me, or I can't find anything at all. I've thought about putting out a "Looking for Connections" post, but am still on the fence about it since I've never done one before. I guess I'm asking for advice on how others have handled this situation, where you've really been wanting to RP, but there were little to no options available to you. I'm slowly but surely getting frustrated, and I'm considering just taking a hiatus from RPing altogether.

RE: Request for RP Advice - Lydia Lightfoot - 11-12-2017

I'm not sure what to say regarding RP on Ultros - I've honestly never heard of it having any sort of RP community, though I imagine just about every server probably has a small handful of players on it who like to RP. 

I play on Balmung, and if you have a character there still, you're welcome to check out my social group, The Reliquarian's Guild, and come poke your nose into some of our activities and general RP. I'm not sure what experiences you had on Balmung previously which caused you to, as you say, "halt your efforts", but I can say with certainty that the community is definitely large enough that it's very possible to have widely varying experiences just depending on which chunk of that community one happens to become involved with... and, with a community so large, it's likely that if one chunk didn't work out, another one might, and the two chunks may very well never end up overlapping.

RE: Request for RP Advice - Trishelle - 11-12-2017

(11-12-2017, 07:49 PM)Lydia Lightfoot Wrote: I'm not sure what to say regarding RP on Ultros - I've honestly never heard of it having any sort of RP community, though I imagine just about every server probably has a small handful of players on it who like to RP. 

I play on Balmung, and if you have a character there still, you're welcome to check out my social group, The Reliquarian's Guild, and come poke your nose into some of our activities and general RP. I'm not sure what experiences you had on Balmung previously which caused you to, as you say, "halt your efforts", but I can say with certainty that the community is definitely large enough that it's very possible to have widely varying experiences just depending on which chunk of that community one happens to become involved with... and, with a community so large, it's likely that if one chunk didn't work out, another one might, and the two chunks may very well never end up overlapping.
 Thank you so much for the response, Lydia! Albeit small, there is definitely an RP community over on Ultros! :D 

I can definitely agree that not everyone I've encountered on Balmung has done me wrong, and in the process of healing, I have tried to put myself back out there. Sadly, the circle of people in question identify as the "divas" of the community, so I practically see them everywhere I turn, no matter what I do. xD 

However, I do like your statement about thinking of groups as "chunks". After going through the ordeals I did and before taking a break from Balmung in general, I was able to find an FC of kind people who listened to my story and took me in. It gives me hope that maybe one day, I can heal properly and maybe even RP on Balmung again. While "halting efforts" is probably seen as a harsh term, it's a term that has the ability to change. :) Thank you for your words!

RE: Request for RP Advice - Kieron Lohengrin - 11-13-2017

Ingame isn't the only place to RP. There's forums, Discords, Skype. Look for characters that interest you and reach out to their players. Most decent RPers are chill and don't mind being poked for a meetup or scene.

Community divas are easily ignored. Nobody will blame you for putting bigots and drama queens on your blocklist. Just focus on the ingame goals and players that interest you, and you'll be a lot happier for it.

RE: Request for RP Advice - Valde - 11-13-2017

For moments like this in RP your best bet is to refocus on what you want out of your character/story RP-wise, and then coalesce that into hooks that other people can jump in on. After that looking at what groups are available and messaging people is the best way to drum up RP.

However keep in mind that drumming up RP is easier to do than getting consistent RP. If you're looking for the magic answer or advice for finding great RP and writing partners in the world of Roleplay then I'm going to disappoint you now:

There's no singular answer. You have to be patient, get a read on people, and understand that RP attracts many different people from many different walks of life for many different reasons. Finding a group, or even a singular person, that you gel with and that isn't inconsistent or flakey is the common arduous task that many of us face when looking to create heavier or long-term roleplay.

So be patient, understand that it make take a while to find someone or a group, and don't be afraid to take a break. And while you have that writing itch, write! Write singular stories, one sided affairs, hooks and ideas, and show them to people. It makes you nice and shiny for when that right person walks along and wants to mix their pretendy words with yours.

Additionally as others have said: Use other sources aside from In-Game. The RPC here is great, and there are Discords/Skypes as well. If you ever decide to roll an alt on Mateus we have a bustling Discord community you'd be welcome to join.

Discord Invite: https://discord.gg/gGTet8P

RE: Request for RP Advice - Valence - 11-13-2017

Finding a group or a FC that matches what you're looking for, is already hard as it is. Generally you'll be confronted to the roleplay Triangle of Hell: RP affinity / OOC affinities/ Timezone affinity.

Pick two.

Finding a single contact, or a handful of individual contacts, in my experience, is a nightmare. You'll find many, but few will actually stick for the same reasons stated above. And you will also have to deal with IRL, meaning, that people often tend to drop from the game for various periods of time. Its very rare to find someone dedicated to the game that will be online most days/weeks. Or at least regularly and consistently, even if not often, so you both have your little special moment of the week that rarely fails. 

I have no answer to bring to you because I have the same issue. I haven't roleplayed in months for that reason alone.

RE: Request for RP Advice - Mermaid - 11-13-2017

I'm in a similar situation right now where I really want to do something RP related and have no outlet for it. I normally have at least one D&D or Pathfinder game I'm playing in but I don't even have that right now. I know how you feel OP it really sucks.

Valde's pretty covered everything I wanted to say and far more eloquently than I could have. Have patience, be willing to use out of game resources, and write. My schedule is too sporadic to RP in game and that coupled with my insecurities means I barely get any. So when I really get the itch to do something I just start hammering out details in my character's past or write* little stories involving them. I'll admit it doesn't entirely scratch that itch but it makes me feel like I've done something productive.

And make that "Looking for Connections" thread! If you're only hesitant because you've never made one before then remember that we're all new once. What have you got to lose? Thumbsup

* "Write" for me means work out a story in my mind, start writing it, get two paragraphs in, get stuck on something/start hating it, and delete the whole thing. Convincing myself to actually finish something is a work in progress.

RE: Request for RP Advice - Ryslo Suramlo - 11-13-2017

(11-12-2017, 07:15 PM)Trishelle Wrote: Hello all! I'm finding myself in a bit of an impasse when it comes to RP in general. I have been craving it lately, which can probably be attributed to me wanting to write, but have not been able to find anything consistent. I've had others tell me that halting my RP efforts on Balmung was an unwise decision, but considering that I've encountered so many negative experiences on there, I feel that my decision was valid.

I have now been trying to RP on a few other servers, as well as my main on Ultros, and I either catch what few RP partners I have at a bad time, no one's as excited as me, or I can't find anything at all. I've thought about putting out a "Looking for Connections" post, but am still on the fence about it since I've never done one before. I guess I'm asking for advice on how others have handled this situation, where you've really been wanting to RP, but there were little to no options available to you. I'm slowly but surely getting frustrated, and I'm considering just taking a hiatus from RPing altogether.

Balmung is a big server with a lot of different types of RP going on. I think the best avenue to go is to find a group that fits your needs, wants and desires. Often when I look for a group to join (that is if I wasn't already leading a group) I would check out a few things. Those are as follows: 

What is their Activity like?

How long have they been around?

Is the General Consensus of the group a Positive one?

Do they allow me to engage them before jumping in as a Member?

What kind of RP do they do? Is it Tavern, World Based Adventuring, Purely Healing, Underworld?

What is the Groups general Alignment?

Reason I bring up the Group Dynamic is because it generally is the best way to find RP connections in the shortest amount of time and often those people you make friends with serve as a core foundation for any character; exploring beyond your group then I find to be easier when your character has people to also lean upon. Of course there are people who may fall into the trap of just staying within their circles, but I find it easier to engage new faces outside my group more enjoyable when I've flushed my character out with other's from the group. I don't know if that entirely makes sense or not, but it works for me.

I think getting a series of questions for yourself organized and going around seeing if there is a place that can answer most if not all your questions is a good start before you jump into a situation. Mind you there are some rough patches on Balmung but I'd say thats fair to assume most server's have that issue too. You just have to find the right group of people for /you/. I sometimes think its not necessarily a server but perhaps the people we run into that give that illusion. What I mean is this; Maybe the people you've run into have soured your feelings about Balmung but there are plenty of wonderful things going on in the server and some amazing groups to look upon! I've met some great friends on Balmung so maybe give it another chance. You may be surprised what you find!

RE: Request for RP Advice - ExAtomos - 11-13-2017

Another thing is to change where you prefer to hang out. I can say that there are many well-known RPers that I've never encountered in game personally because I just don't hang out in locations they do. Try checking out different events or go to hang out spots you usually don't. The suggestions of finding a good FC are what I'd encourage you to do the most; with a good and active one, you have all you need in house.

RE: Request for RP Advice - Zhavi - 11-13-2017

(11-12-2017, 07:15 PM)Trishelle Wrote: Hello all! I'm finding myself in a bit of an impasse when it comes to RP in general. I have been craving it lately, which can probably be attributed to me wanting to write, but have not been able to find anything consistent. I've had others tell me that halting my RP efforts on Balmung was an unwise decision, but considering that I've encountered so many negative experiences on there, I feel that my decision was valid.

I just wanted to comment here -- your feelings matter the most, on these kinds of subjects. At the end, once you decide that somewhere is no longer for you, that's that. There is nothing in this world that will be 100% for everyone, and if you really felt like Balmung wasn't doing it for you, then Balmung wasn't doing it for you.

(11-12-2017, 07:15 PM)Trishelle Wrote: I have now been trying to RP on a few other servers, as well as my main on Ultros, and I either catch what few RP partners I have at a bad time, no one's as excited as me, or I can't find anything at all. I've thought about putting out a "Looking for Connections" post, but am still on the fence about it since I've never done one before. I guess I'm asking for advice on how others have handled this situation, where you've really been wanting to RP, but there were little to no options available to you. I'm slowly but surely getting frustrated, and I'm considering just taking a hiatus from RPing altogether.

I think that this is something you're going to hit wherever you go -- finding a solid rp partner who has similar ideas about what constitutes good rp, and gets excited the same way you do can be a long process. My biggest piece of advice is to not give up. My second biggest piece of advice is to not get discouraged. Check out peoples making connections posts, make your own, look at wiki pages and send messages to people whose characters look like good fits for yours. If they're on a different server, give something like forum, skype, or discord rp a try.

It's probably going to take several duds before you find your diamond in the rough. Expect it to happen. Remind yourself that finding compatible people is a process. But push come to shove, if the discouragement that you feel is souring the process and turning to cynicism, don't be afraid to take a break. Breaks can be positive experiences, allowing you to recharge and come back with better vibes. Sometimes negativity can be a sneaky thing, and make you subconsciously turn away from things that otherwise might have been something you were down to try, especially if you're starting to get burned out.



But for me, personally, messaging people has never let me down. I might go through ten, twenty, thirty people to find one who I really mesh with, but man, it's worth it. In any case, I wish you luck, and hope you're able to find the right rp partner for you.

RE: Request for RP Advice - Shofie - 11-19-2017

I enjoy roleplaying, but after some negative experiences with people harassing me, I tend to be pretty reclusive. What I started doing instead was focusing on storybuilding instead, and it turns out, I really enjoy that a lot.

There's also Discord/Skype rp and stuff like that!