Honestly, the only time there's too much RP is when you begin to stress about being pulled in several different directions. Like with anything fun, it is totally possible to have too much of a good thing!
However, I definitely do think there's a certain... stigma, maybe, attached to the idea of "RP partners" with some people. A lot of people I've talked to in the past have wanted it to mean "exclusive rights to RP with this person," when in reality that's just... Well, it's downright creepy to want that much of a say over someone's time. Even if--and especially in some cases--the roleplay is romantic in nature.
Do I have a "main" RP partner? Totally! But that just means that it's one person that I turn to when I'm bored and I can rely on almost 100% of the time to help me brainstorm new ideas. I have a metric shitload of RP partners that I like to RP with--and it's a term I use to denote anyone that I invest any amount of time into.
I do think the responsible thing to do is to be upfront with someone about the sort of commitment you can give to them and their characters, and if they find that unacceptable it's perfectly okay if they decide to not invest their time into the storyline you're going to craft. No harm, no foul!
The problem is, as you say, when people begin to feel entitled to your time and try to force you into a situation where you do what they want you to do.
I mean, hell. If i tell someone I'm not available and they proceed to throw a hissy fit? I'm dropping them like a hot potato.
I've cut off friendships cold turkey because they weren't happy with the sort of commitment I was willing to give to our characters and pitched a damn fit. Especially when it's a romantic relationship--those tend to be the worst. People trying to treat me like I'm their SO simply because our characters are in a relationship is one of the scariest things I've run into.
However, I definitely do think there's a certain... stigma, maybe, attached to the idea of "RP partners" with some people. A lot of people I've talked to in the past have wanted it to mean "exclusive rights to RP with this person," when in reality that's just... Well, it's downright creepy to want that much of a say over someone's time. Even if--and especially in some cases--the roleplay is romantic in nature.
Do I have a "main" RP partner? Totally! But that just means that it's one person that I turn to when I'm bored and I can rely on almost 100% of the time to help me brainstorm new ideas. I have a metric shitload of RP partners that I like to RP with--and it's a term I use to denote anyone that I invest any amount of time into.
I do think the responsible thing to do is to be upfront with someone about the sort of commitment you can give to them and their characters, and if they find that unacceptable it's perfectly okay if they decide to not invest their time into the storyline you're going to craft. No harm, no foul!
The problem is, as you say, when people begin to feel entitled to your time and try to force you into a situation where you do what they want you to do.
I mean, hell. If i tell someone I'm not available and they proceed to throw a hissy fit? I'm dropping them like a hot potato.
I've cut off friendships cold turkey because they weren't happy with the sort of commitment I was willing to give to our characters and pitched a damn fit. Especially when it's a romantic relationship--those tend to be the worst. People trying to treat me like I'm their SO simply because our characters are in a relationship is one of the scariest things I've run into.
