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Nebbs · **02-20-2016, 05:49 AM**

(02-20-2016, 04:04 AM)Solenne Wrote: Thought of something else. When I'm trying to run a story arc involving other people and it's kind of complex and I'm getting wrapped up in the details, I start worrying that no one else cares about what's happening as much as I do. I worry that they're all just really bored and they're too nice to tell me so. I love DMing plots, but I have so much anxiety about it whenever I do.

Yea i get this, and my advise is to slow down and let people have space. I try to get the other players to RP and stuff and then add in more plot as appropriate. Sometime it feels like you will never get the plot done Smile

If they are RPing then generally they are having fun. If you find it is just you doing things, then you are basically telling a story not RPing.

In summary, often less is more.

Solenne · **02-20-2016, 05:54 AM**

(02-20-2016, 05:49 AM)Nebbs Wrote:
(02-20-2016, 04:04 AM)Solenne Wrote: Thought of something else. When I'm trying to run a story arc involving other people and it's kind of complex and I'm getting wrapped up in the details, I start worrying that no one else cares about what's happening as much as I do. I worry that they're all just really bored and they're too nice to tell me so. I love DMing plots, but I have so much anxiety about it whenever I do.

Yea i get this, and my advise is to slow down and let people have space. I try to get the other players to RP and stuff and then add in more plot as appropriate. Sometime it feels like you will never get the plot done

If they are RPing then generally they are having fun. If you find it is just you doing things, then you are basically telling a story not RPing.

In summary, often less is more.

This is super good advice, and I'll try to keep it in mind!

Cato · **02-20-2016, 07:49 AM**

(02-20-2016, 04:04 AM)Solenne Wrote: Thought of something else. When I'm trying to run a story arc involving other people and it's kind of complex and I'm getting wrapped up in the details, I start worrying that no one else cares about what's happening as much as I do. I worry that they're all just really bored and they're too nice to tell me so. I love DMing plots, but I have so much anxiety about it whenever I do.

That's actually not a bad thing at all. Never feel ashamed of going out of your way to go above and beyond what most role-players do. I absolutely adore role-play that boasts a lot of depth, mystery and various sub-plots. It's not everybody's cup of tea, certainly, but there are people out there who love that sort of thing.

The key is to identify them, approach them and then offer to team up if it seems like your desires align with theirs.

As a rule I only role-play with those who prove that they care for the development of more than just their own character. Even in regards to 'simple' plots I've always felt as if it's important for role-players to give and take. I adore complex plots when they're pulled off in a satisfactory manner because if nothing else they genuinely ensure that there's genuine, meaningful character development and an opportunity to get out into the game world and explore.

So don't be discouraged!

Klynzahr · **02-22-2016, 09:52 PM**

Metagaming.... it's seriously one of my worst fears to be accused of manipulating someone elses carefully planned character or plot. I came from a very relaxed RP atmosphere in Wow, where plots grew organically and no one had qualms about throwing in new developments or twists.

Several sidetracked plots and angry guilds later, I am now petrified of introducing anything resembling a plot twist for my characters. I continuously develop them behind the scenes or on the sidelines, because I'm scared to unintentionally screw up someone's story. To be fair, I have had lots of fun RPing a continuous sidekick, but sometimes I wish that I could just bite down on my worries, and bring some of my own plotlines to life.

I'm also a chronic free company hopper for many of the same reasons as above. I worry that if I grow too deeply entrenched in a group, I will be unable to salvage my characters if something goes wrong. It really doesn't help with my former problem, because I never allow myself to feel comfortable enough to contribute significantly.

Cassandra · **02-23-2016, 12:01 AM**

(02-18-2016, 01:35 PM)Roen Wrote: I worry that when I RP with people, that I am expected to bring some plot development to that particular scene. I don't always have the overall arc in mind, nor some significant plot development every scene every step of the way. Sometimes I too enjoy a little slice of life. But I don't do it often enough.

And when I really think about it, I do believe that people don't have this expectation of me, it's what I hold for myself. But it does sometimes discourage me from scheduling RP with a few folks, because I don't have that "next idea."

I also know people who have their characters thought out every step of the way. I don't... do this. I know who my characters are at their core, but I have not thought out every minute details of their day or their subconsciousness. I admire people who can and has done this, but I rarely know my own self that well, much less my characters. I react on instinct to a situation. But sometimes I feel like that is not in depth enough.

I can also be quite insecure about my writing. Less so in posts where I can think about word choices, edit and edit again and mind the flow of the narrative. No, it's the live fly by the seat of your pants RP where I look at some other people's word choices and go... "damn, that was a really good description." Then wonder why I don't think up something that great on the spot.

But at the end of the day, I do enjoy RP and crave it when I am away from it for too long. So I try not to overthink things and just try and have fun.

Story of my life. ;-;

I forever worry over whether my replies were as good or interesting, especially when someone response with a large paragraph I rather enjoyed. This only gets worse in group dynamics because I have difficulty keeping up with a scrolling chat box. I'm just far too accustom with 1v1 or the occasional small group.

For whatever it may be worth though, I really like Roen.Â

Another insecurity I didn't mention earlier is my tendency to be a bit verbose. Given Cassandra's backstory as having a noble of sorts upbringing, and the game itself throwing around words you don't often see elsewhere, I often work it into my own replies; primarily in her dialogue. I, personally, love the style and always fall back into it if the world I'm working in allows for it, but at the same time... I can't help wonder if it annoys people or I come across snobbish.

***Nero*** · **02-23-2016, 12:15 AM**

I frequently worry about the cohesiveness of my writing. I am extraordinarily detail oriented when it comes to events and characters "making sense". Is this character inconsistent in their behaviour and attitudes? Are these motivations justifiable? Did how this event happen and why it happened make sense? Do these things open the way to other actions, or did I write myself into a corner?

When it comes to things like movies, books, or basically anything with a narrative, I am horrendously nitpicky regarding these things. I'm the first to point out plot holes or to complain that a character is being inconsistent, and this lends itself to me being extra extra critical with the way I set up my own narratives.

Caspar · **02-23-2016, 01:29 AM**

(02-23-2016, 12:15 AM)Nero Wrote: I frequently worry about the cohesiveness of my writing. I am extraordinarily detail oriented when it comes to events and characters "making sense". Is this character inconsistent in their behaviour and attitudes? Are these motivations justifiable? Did how this event happen and why it happened make sense? Do these things open the way to other actions, or did I write myself into a corner?

When it comes to things like movies, books, or basically anything with a narrative, I am horrendously nitpicky regarding these things. I'm the first to point out plot holes or to complain that a character is being inconsistent, and this lends itself to me being extra extra critical with the way I set up my own narratives.

Looking at it a certain way, you could be more proud of this than anxious. For some people, making things seem plausible is a primary goal in writing a narrative, and it gives them satisfaction. I think that it is a part of their style and probably an inseparable element of their personality as well.

This is just my own belief, but I think fiction is an attempt to impose order on the chaotic meaninglessness of everyday life. People already have a tendency to perceive correlation between unrelated things and search for meaning in objects and experiences that actually have none. So if fiction is written by people, it would naturally also reflect those connections and the meaning they believe they saw; whether conscious or unconscious, everything happens for a reason, even if it was something as simple as "this happened to me," or "I like this color." I think the characters aren't exempt from this either. They resemble a person, and an excuse is made for how or why they do something within the story on behest of the writer, but the fact is they are there because the writer put them there. They exist to articulate the narrative, and everything else is a device meant to make the reader think they're plausible, or they themselves are the device, made to create the illusion of chaotic meaninglessness.Â

That's why to me it doesn't seem that strange, or something to be anxious about, that you try to square it all away. It shouldn't be, since you are writing it. That writing will inevitably reflect the way you perceive things. If it didn't make sense to you, you probably didn't write it.

While I wouldn't necessarily go as far, I think that, for instance, if I'm writing a scene and I feel the character's actions and background don't line up properly, that sort of instinct is probably coming from the same desire to create order within the narrative. Obviously, if it interfered with my enjoyment, or if it made it hard for me to play with others, I wouldn't be happy about it. Even as recently as with some events, I haven't been able to write myself in because I felt I couldn't come up with a reason for her to be involved that satisfied me, even though I really wanted to participate.

Kurt S. · **02-26-2016, 12:03 AM**

Sometimes I'm not sure about my characters anymore.

What drives them, what motivates them, what they wanted to do, who they are.Â

I used, but now I'm not so sure. I want to start with a fresh character but at the same time I can't exactly cannibalize my existing ones because someone somewhere might still want to interact with them, albeit on rare occasions. I'm also not keen going through ARR/2.5 for the 9th time.Â

I dunno just feels like I'm grasping at straws just so something happens to them.Â

*Case and point. After seeing the BLM /vpose I just knew I had to integrate some really Owain-stuff to it. Along the lines of "MY SPELLHAND HUNGERS" Under the pretense of a cheap manual telling him(Kurt) how to unlock his 'Spellhand' and how it translates to being a better thaumaturge. All a load of bull of course but it came at a bargain so...*

I've got ideas. Finding people to put these ideas into practice without making it look forced is the tricky bit. Overcoming my timezone differences is just as tricky. So anyone know any efficient way to pull all nighters? Since that's the only real way I can put myself in EU friendly events.

Dracyn · **02-26-2016, 02:10 AM**

Some how I always manage to find the rp partner who never logs in reliably or only logs in if I beg them to or if there's some event.

Which has essentially led to not one but 5 separate plotlines across two games being abandoned/retconned because the person I depended on being there just stopped logging in. No word no warning, just one day they never logged in again. Which causes me to become depressed and generally abandon the game and character.

I am honestly concerned that there might be something wrong with me, that I drive people away from rping and gaming in general.

Nebbs · **02-26-2016, 02:44 AM**

(02-26-2016, 02:10 AM)Dracyn Wrote: Some how I always manage to find the rp partner who never logs in reliably or only logs in if I beg them to or if there's some event.

Which has essentially led to not one but 5 separate plotlines across two games being abandoned/retconned because the person I depended on being there just stopped logging in. No word no warning, just one day they never logged in again. Which causes me to become depressed and generally abandon the game and character.

I am honestly concerned that there might be something wrong with me, that I drive people away from rping and gaming in general.

No no, it takes a certain kind of RPer to venture into the long term side of RP, it's not you.

There are many folks who are more like moths flitting from one RP/game to another. Even then others like the first part of an RP engagement and go off to seek more freshness when this dies down.

I myself look for longer term RP that makes me think, but honestly most of what I find remains superficial which is only really good for passing-by RP. You only get past my random RP front if you stick around.

All I can say is make your plots less reliant on an individual, progress them when you can or in downtime. Be prepared to run off at tangents/distractions as you RP with others. I often treat them as the slowly changing story of my character.

If you are finding RP then keep going, there will likely be another potential along shortly.

Psst - you know there is something wrong with everyone, right?

Nirri · **02-26-2016, 06:20 AM**

1.) Does it bother the other person that I write lengthy emotes and take my time? Should I shorten it down when they themselves don't write lengthy emotes?

2.) Can I properly maintain the focus between the various people, a character of mine has encountered without neglecting one for the other. (Proper time seperation between other people.)

3.) If without an FC / LS / RP-bubble, can I continue to find and establish a good line of roleplay through a manner of walk ups or previous RP encounters while avoiding the risk of falling into a slump or staring at the wall till the end of days.

4.) Does the person on the other end even want to RP at all with me and is just being nice for the sake of being nice. This also translates into just talking OOC, planning stuff where I just start to feel like one is a constant bother and the one word replies like "Yeah. Alright. Fine, thanks, etc..." or some stupid smiley in the end just means "Just go away." and in the end all they talk/RP with me with is out of some pity.

In the end on the above I tend to get over such feelings and know it's not always like this, but its' just how my brain works in the end and no matter how much someone dissuades me from such thoughts it always falls back into it.

ExAtomos · **02-26-2016, 10:08 AM**

I'm running three characters and 2 story arcs; I wish I could be in two places at once sometimes. ><

I have playable npcs and sometimes someone's story would be a really good fit for one of my 'npcs', I'm not sure how to go get the other character and pull them into the story.Â

One of my characters has a loose grip on reality, how do I convey this without it being too much (and annoying to others)?

What do I do when chatting with someone who includes the WoL story in their RP and I don't?

I am able to play a lot every day, how do I deal with someone who doesn't and wants to pick up where we left off last time... when I've moved on from that point?

I MUCH prefer seeing a few short sentence of emotes & dialog than some wall of text. Am I alone in this? Plus, I like including the little details like what people do irl (such as looking over a menu, describing body language such as shifting uncomfortably when questioned, or doing things such as adding another log to the campfire); is this seen as chat clutter and unwanted?

I do hope to get to meet more people out and about sometime. I know it's slow going. :)

Chompie · **02-26-2016, 05:52 PM**

(02-26-2016, 10:08 AM)ExAtomos Wrote: I MUCH prefer seeing a few short sentence of emotes & dialog than some wall of text. Am I alone in this? Plus, I like including the little details like what people do irl (such as looking over a menu, describing body language such as shifting uncomfortably when questioned, or doing things such as adding another log to the campfire); is this seen as chat clutter and unwanted?

This bit in particular, I just HAVE to comment on- I think that body language and other such 'fluff emotes' in the midst of a conversation are SUPER important. They help with scene continuity, they give a better idea of who a character is, they can make awkward silences feel more purposeful, and they add that little bit of uncertainty that always comes with communication.

If Arblis is kicking her heels against the foot of her chair, what does that mean? Is she nervous? Bored? Thoughtful? Does she even realize she's doing it? If the other person reacts to it, you have created An Interaction, and that's kind of the whole point of RP, isn't it? Plus it lets you set up expectations and understanding of a character's normal behavior, and by making them notably absent or making little changes to them, companions WILL notice, in a way that's much more organic than just saying '/em looks like she's real tired of all these negotiations.'

I'm still a mess over figuring out proper post length though. If a character has a very choppy train of thought, isn't it better to chop up disparate thoughts into separate lines? But that can be annoying because then the other person is already writing a response and you shove another thing in there and that changes things and it's a pain. But maybe it's still the right thing to do because the character is supposed to be kind of annoying and disruptive. But it's still OOC annoying and that's never a good thing to aim for.

*emits commiseration rays*

ExAtomos · **02-26-2016, 06:47 PM**

(02-26-2016, 05:52 PM)Chompie Wrote: This bit in particular, I just HAVE to comment on- I think that body language and other such 'fluff emotes' in the midst of a conversation are SUPER important. They help with scene continuity, they give a better idea of who a character is, they can make awkward silences feel more purposeful, and they add that little bit of uncertainty that always comes with communication.

...

I'm still a mess over figuring out proper post length though. If a character has a very choppy train of thought, isn't it better to chop up disparate thoughts into separate lines? But that can be annoying because then the other person is already writing a response and you shove another thing in there and that changes things and it's a pain. But maybe it's still the right thing to do because the character is supposed to be kind of annoying and disruptive. But it's still OOC annoying and that's never a good thing to aim for.

*emits commiseration rays*

Exactly so, in a bar for example, people move around, drink, check each other out... all those little things that bring the room to life

As far as short typing vs long... I will wait if I feel something I said would elicit a response. It can be a bit difficult, I'll admit, since I'm usually a fast typer. :3

Zhavi · **02-26-2016, 08:22 PM**

I constantly worry that I'm boring, that my characters aren't compelling enough and my plots are uninteresting. Then on top of that, I constantly worry that my longterm rp partners will give up on me because of my constant in and out activity. I always want to rp more, but that drive isn't always there depending on rl -- so it comes down to people being willing to put up with that because they like my writing or characters (or me, as a rp partner).

But what if it's not good enough? What if I get boring or cliche? What if my self-imposed standards of quality slip? What if my characters fail to grow or fall into a rut of bad dialogue and overgrown prose?

What if I'm not good enough?

Eugh.

At least I'm not alone! It's so easy to look at the things others have said in this thread (whose writing I know) and think 'oh, what do you have to worry about? You're an amazing writer, and your rp rocks!'

...sometimes impossible to say that to myself. We're all the same in that, aren't we? (out of the people posting here, anyways)

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Roleplayer Uncertainty/Insecurity Theater

RPC has moved! These pages have been kept for historical purposes