I feel like we need to figure out a way to arrange actual meetings for brand new RPers posting in the Making Connections forum from a "I'm having trouble finding RP and could really use some! Halp!" standpoint.
Right now the way the forum often (but not always) works for some new people is that:
1) RPer who is completely brand new to the MMO/Community/RP needs help looking for RP and posts a thread.
2) Other people post that they would love to RP with that person! "Just hit me up in game sometime! I'm up for anything!"
3) ALL of the work actually finding the people who posted on their thread is completely laid at the feet of the OP.
I know everyone means well when they post on a thread saying that they'd love to meet with someone who needs help looking for RP. I've been guilty of it myself a few times, but I feel like a lot of new RPers posting in the Making Connections forum are either really shy folks or they just have trouble finding people -- which is why they wound up in the Making Connections forum to begin with.
I can also tell you as someone who had to spend a month literally hunting after 50+ people to stick them on my friend list so I could poke them later for a plot (that has completely stalled because real life is eating my face with jerb hunts :V), its REALLY hard finding people you've never met before who are of varying timezones and schedules when the game doesn't permit you to stick them on your friends list when they are offline.
Perhaps we can reframe the idea of the Making Connections thread from "Newbie posts thread. Onus is on Newbie to do all work finding the contacts who posted in their thread." to something more along the lines of:
1) If you don't have time right now to RP with them, but you definitely want to sync back up with them in the future when you do have more freetime - post when you're going to be more free or just post in the thread later when you have free time.
2) If you post in a new RPer's thread that you're totally up for meeting and RPing with them, actually send them a PM with your availability and figure out a time when the both of you can meet up.
These don't have to be rules - they can be suggested guidelines, but I definitely feel if more people did the second thing, all our newbies would gets much more use out of that Making Connections forum.
Right now the way the forum often (but not always) works for some new people is that:
1) RPer who is completely brand new to the MMO/Community/RP needs help looking for RP and posts a thread.
2) Other people post that they would love to RP with that person! "Just hit me up in game sometime! I'm up for anything!"
3) ALL of the work actually finding the people who posted on their thread is completely laid at the feet of the OP.
I know everyone means well when they post on a thread saying that they'd love to meet with someone who needs help looking for RP. I've been guilty of it myself a few times, but I feel like a lot of new RPers posting in the Making Connections forum are either really shy folks or they just have trouble finding people -- which is why they wound up in the Making Connections forum to begin with.
I can also tell you as someone who had to spend a month literally hunting after 50+ people to stick them on my friend list so I could poke them later for a plot (that has completely stalled because real life is eating my face with jerb hunts :V), its REALLY hard finding people you've never met before who are of varying timezones and schedules when the game doesn't permit you to stick them on your friends list when they are offline.
Perhaps we can reframe the idea of the Making Connections thread from "Newbie posts thread. Onus is on Newbie to do all work finding the contacts who posted in their thread." to something more along the lines of:
1) If you don't have time right now to RP with them, but you definitely want to sync back up with them in the future when you do have more freetime - post when you're going to be more free or just post in the thread later when you have free time.
2) If you post in a new RPer's thread that you're totally up for meeting and RPing with them, actually send them a PM with your availability and figure out a time when the both of you can meet up.
These don't have to be rules - they can be suggested guidelines, but I definitely feel if more people did the second thing, all our newbies would gets much more use out of that Making Connections forum.
