I am not, nor have I ever really pursued an RP FC leadership personally, but I have been the leader of RP in other places, and I have some things to help out if you are willing to try and let some of that stress go, and really focus on your relationships in the game!
~Make Time!
Okay, so you have a static, and you have an RP group you've managed to keep together, here are some different time making components for you to consider. Make time for new content, if you are the lead of RP and indeed help push along the story and encourage the others, make sure that the whole group knows that new content in the game will sometimes take a precedence over RP. I have experienced many RP groups in XIV, and this was almost always an official or otherwise widely understood rule, that within the first few weeks of major content, there will be some pause in RP because not just you, but other members wish to enjoy other parts of the game as well.
Outside of game content, there is still more you need to think about. It is always a safer bet to have more than one RP or gaming friend group! I have this system in place for myself and I am not even a leader. I have a Hunt LS where I talk about hunting and share that community, I have a Lala LS where I share the vulgar gritty side of myself in a safe and super judgmental environment, and then because I need too much RP in my life, I have 3 (hopefully soon 4) RP connections. This variation of dialogue and sometimes overlapping, but mostly separate group of friends, helps me really divide my stress levels, when one group makes me particularly steamed, I switch over to another to have some fun and let that go, but I always have something to do in one place or another available to me in case I want to RP or do game content, another way other than simple dialogue to let out that steam.
~Make Connections!
This is described above for you, but also encourage your RP FC members to do this as well. Talk to other RP groups about possible plot lines that can drive themselves outside of your core group, meet up with other RP groups for their events, or even just make all this information available to your group so that they can choose what they want to do. This helps build a sense of community amongst other groups and amongst the RPers in general on your server (which I am sad to see in many cases is lacking, and really needs to addressed by everyone), and improves things across the board, and hopefully ease some of the guilt from needing time away on occasion. Something that helps speed this along is mentioned by other posters, but having someone at the helm of RP in the group besides just you, can't be stressed enough how this helps, and some really great things can come out of having someone there at your back pushing others to RP.
~Leave Drama Behind!
Okay, drama, I can't even with this subject most of the time. I don't like drama outside of RP, it happens, I have a rare abrasive moment here and there when I have to deal with prejudice in the community or really weak uncreative RP and RPers who have more interest in doing what they want rather than what is reasonable or acceptable in RP (which is predominantly a team activity btw!). I don't do this always on purpose, but something that has helped me stick with things for a long period of time, is distancing myself from people outside of the game setting. I don't do other chats, I will do voice occasionally, but honestly (and this doesn't have to be the case with everyone) chatting in the game and RPing together is what I need to enjoy, and not somehow thinking that our connection (though I find the connection by creativity between artists -visual, written, or otherwise- to be some of the deepest connections I have made in my life) means we need to meet outside the game, which allows for a mixing of personal and private things that will interfere with the artistic process and general fun to be had in RP like what we have in FFFXIV.
This sounds a little negative I know, and as I said, I don't really do it intentionally, I just really value my RP experience and community, and I instinctually don't like to jeopardize that with anything outside the game.
From what I am reading, you have both heavy and light RPers, this is a blessing where it seems to be a curse for you. Allow the heavy RPers to put up some events for everyone, a little brainstorming and planning, and you can have a great event that you as a leader don't have to run, but rather just attend and enjoy. Make an overarching plot that both encourages planning, but also flows with the game and allows people to make choices and have an outcome that helps everyone grow (again something to propose to the heavier RP members, and let the lighter side join in when they can/want to). You're in a static, and not just you, but maybe another member or two in the FC are also, how about this, make sure to put aside some funds to donate to RP events, hire a bard, hire some servers, dancers, and other people that can come make the event more fun, there are plenty of these sorts around, some don't even ask for actual gil, and just enjoy entertaining and sharing their hard work developing their character.
Okay, so I hope some part of this wall of text helps/is even read, and that this situation gets some work from you to make better, because at the end of the day, you need to find the parts of every creative and hard won process that you enjoy, whether it be RP, gaming, or both, and having fun and making that fun last isn't always easy (in fact it rarely is). I wish you and your group all the best!
~Make Time!
Okay, so you have a static, and you have an RP group you've managed to keep together, here are some different time making components for you to consider. Make time for new content, if you are the lead of RP and indeed help push along the story and encourage the others, make sure that the whole group knows that new content in the game will sometimes take a precedence over RP. I have experienced many RP groups in XIV, and this was almost always an official or otherwise widely understood rule, that within the first few weeks of major content, there will be some pause in RP because not just you, but other members wish to enjoy other parts of the game as well.
Outside of game content, there is still more you need to think about. It is always a safer bet to have more than one RP or gaming friend group! I have this system in place for myself and I am not even a leader. I have a Hunt LS where I talk about hunting and share that community, I have a Lala LS where I share the vulgar gritty side of myself in a safe and super judgmental environment, and then because I need too much RP in my life, I have 3 (hopefully soon 4) RP connections. This variation of dialogue and sometimes overlapping, but mostly separate group of friends, helps me really divide my stress levels, when one group makes me particularly steamed, I switch over to another to have some fun and let that go, but I always have something to do in one place or another available to me in case I want to RP or do game content, another way other than simple dialogue to let out that steam.
~Make Connections!
This is described above for you, but also encourage your RP FC members to do this as well. Talk to other RP groups about possible plot lines that can drive themselves outside of your core group, meet up with other RP groups for their events, or even just make all this information available to your group so that they can choose what they want to do. This helps build a sense of community amongst other groups and amongst the RPers in general on your server (which I am sad to see in many cases is lacking, and really needs to addressed by everyone), and improves things across the board, and hopefully ease some of the guilt from needing time away on occasion. Something that helps speed this along is mentioned by other posters, but having someone at the helm of RP in the group besides just you, can't be stressed enough how this helps, and some really great things can come out of having someone there at your back pushing others to RP.
~Leave Drama Behind!
Okay, drama, I can't even with this subject most of the time. I don't like drama outside of RP, it happens, I have a rare abrasive moment here and there when I have to deal with prejudice in the community or really weak uncreative RP and RPers who have more interest in doing what they want rather than what is reasonable or acceptable in RP (which is predominantly a team activity btw!). I don't do this always on purpose, but something that has helped me stick with things for a long period of time, is distancing myself from people outside of the game setting. I don't do other chats, I will do voice occasionally, but honestly (and this doesn't have to be the case with everyone) chatting in the game and RPing together is what I need to enjoy, and not somehow thinking that our connection (though I find the connection by creativity between artists -visual, written, or otherwise- to be some of the deepest connections I have made in my life) means we need to meet outside the game, which allows for a mixing of personal and private things that will interfere with the artistic process and general fun to be had in RP like what we have in FFFXIV.
This sounds a little negative I know, and as I said, I don't really do it intentionally, I just really value my RP experience and community, and I instinctually don't like to jeopardize that with anything outside the game.
From what I am reading, you have both heavy and light RPers, this is a blessing where it seems to be a curse for you. Allow the heavy RPers to put up some events for everyone, a little brainstorming and planning, and you can have a great event that you as a leader don't have to run, but rather just attend and enjoy. Make an overarching plot that both encourages planning, but also flows with the game and allows people to make choices and have an outcome that helps everyone grow (again something to propose to the heavier RP members, and let the lighter side join in when they can/want to). You're in a static, and not just you, but maybe another member or two in the FC are also, how about this, make sure to put aside some funds to donate to RP events, hire a bard, hire some servers, dancers, and other people that can come make the event more fun, there are plenty of these sorts around, some don't even ask for actual gil, and just enjoy entertaining and sharing their hard work developing their character.
Okay, so I hope some part of this wall of text helps/is even read, and that this situation gets some work from you to make better, because at the end of the day, you need to find the parts of every creative and hard won process that you enjoy, whether it be RP, gaming, or both, and having fun and making that fun last isn't always easy (in fact it rarely is). I wish you and your group all the best!
