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

Chompie · **07-02-2016, 03:26 PM**

Quite often I'll see search comments or Connections posts that say someone is "Looking for Storyline" and... Honestly, I have no idea what that means. Apparently it's one of those things like "Walk ups welcome" that actually means something different for each person. Or maybe there's some unified consensus for what it means that I'm just not aware of!

Far as I can tell, Looking for Storyline ends up meaning any of the following:
- Looking for people to play side characters in my character's story I've got written
- I need villains for my character's story to continue
- I want someone to be the hero for my character's things
- Looking for a storyteller running a big complicated plot/canon for me to join
- I want to join in and affect how your character develops
- I'd rather develop my character via the initiative of others, if that's okay
- Seeking a Linkshell or FC but didn't want to be obvious about it
- I want a group of friends where things actually happen and characters grow
- I don't know what I want

And that's on top of everyone's different preferences and beliefs about canon interpretation, healing and consequences, random elements, what constitutes lore plausibility...

I guess what I'm saying is that if you're Looking For Storyline, I don't really know what you mean! Why not post some details here if you've been storyseeking in the past, or if you currently are!

Please? I want to understand.

Oats McGoats · **07-03-2016, 06:36 PM**

Well, a lot of RP FCs (and RP guilds in other games) will advertise over-arcing storylines but eventually end up in a "bar RP" lull where the story doesn't get addressed much (usually do to the fact that running a major story is a looooot of work).
I would take it as them saying, "I want more than bar RP."

Melkire · **07-03-2016, 08:22 PM**

(07-03-2016, 06:36 PM)Yazi Wrote: I would take it as them saying, "I want more than bar RP."

This more or less sums it up. You could probably, in most people's cases, take it a step further and read it as "I want more than slice-of-life scenes." It's a contrast seen more often in anime than anywhere else: on one hand you have dramatic storylines that involve conflict and struggle, and on the other hand you have a bunch of friends sitting around sharing a drink and some funny stories.

Nebbs · **07-04-2016, 02:20 AM**

I'll also raise a hand for not bar RP. My main complaint with this is the RP never leaves the bar, and is similar to a sketch show.

Story RP for me means my character has some story arcs running, and you can come along too. Ideally, you will have something similar and we see where the RP takes us.

But as said, story/plot RP takes a lot of effort. It is frustrating to try and do this with intermittent random RP folks.

However, story RP is wonderful and creates memorable experiences to shape your character.

Bar RP us fine as a filler but I can survive on it.

Valence · **07-04-2016, 03:49 AM**

Bar RP (doesn't necessarily have to be in a bar, I would rather call it slice of life), is actually where most of the character development happens. It can happen in a bar yes, but it can also happen pretty much everywhere else: houses, in the wild or any location really. I just oppose it to action RP, and not to story RP.

To me both action/combat/event RP and slice of life RP are part of the overarching story of your character. Both contribute in their own ways and merits. What your character will face in action RP, will then be discussed and reflected upon in the next slice of life RP. Or the opposite, where you will plan a mission or something in your slice of life RP session (in a bar or anywhere else), then do it in action RP the next time.

I think that if your slice of life RP is never tied to what your character is doing and it's just... empty small talk however, then yeah... Maybe not the most fulfilling.Â

That's also why I try every time I meet someone new ICly, to offer hooks and occasions to plan something else. It can be a job, a trip, a journey, whatever. It kicks things up and prevents the slice of life RP to stay flat and without any hope for a follow up. I think that most of my first IC meetings with new contacts has 75% of the time happened in bars, and yet...

Kilieit · **07-04-2016, 04:27 AM**

(07-04-2016, 03:49 AM)Valence Wrote: I think that if your slice of life RP is never tied to what your character is doing and it's just... empty small talk however, then yeah... Maybe not the most fulfilling.

I think this is the differentiation, yeah. I mean... I find this fear that if I start bringing up heavy plot points in ""bar RP"" (walk-up RP with strangers), they'll think I'm attention-grabby, annoying, or selfish.

Which is complete nonsense, of course. I think most people, most of the time, are EAGER to hear about whatever the person they're chatting to has got going on.

But... I guess there's still that hesitation that unless the person is asking specifically for plot stuff, that bringing it up will be unwanted or irritating.

I don't have "LF storyline" in my search info (no room, lol). But if I did, it would be a call to notify people that really, no, honestly, it's ok to bring that stuff up! Do it! It's fun! Show me what you're doing! Don't feel restricted to "so how about that weather lately eh"!

Just that extra push and reassurance for people on the same wavelength.

Valence · **07-04-2016, 04:37 AM**

Well, my character sure as hell isn't going to bring up "Hey by the way here are all my intimate secrets and ongoing plots and do you want to help/be part of it?".

"What are you doing for a living?" however, is perfectly expectable. We used it just yesterday with a new contact and from there we went to "Oh, I'm into salvage" then "Where do you go usually for that?" followed by "A lot in Mor Dhona with all the wrecks", which leaded to "Call me if you need a hand". So here you have it, impromptu RP journey planned out of nothing.

Nebbs · **07-04-2016, 05:19 AM**

(07-04-2016, 04:37 AM)Valence Wrote: Well, my character sure as hell isn't going to bring up "Hey by the way here are all my intimate secrets and ongoing plots and do you want to help/be part of it?".

"What are you doing for a living?" however, is perfectly expectable. We used it just yesterday with a new contact and from there we went to "Oh, I'm into salvage" then "Where do you go usually for that?" followed by "A lot in Mor Dhona with all the wrecks", which leaded to "Call me if you need a hand". So here you have it, impromptu RP journey planned out of nothing.

Or better ask,

"Salvage? I'm looking for a replacement cannon for my ship. Maybe you know where we can get one? I'm happy to come along on any retrieval"

Or

"Salvage? I've got am old cannon that I want to get shut off. Could you come and give me a price. When's a good time for you?"

Raeje · **07-04-2016, 09:07 AM**

Coming from an FC that focuses on both slice of life RP and storyline RP, I think both are fine. I haven't really done any of our storyline RP, because Raeje hasn't really fit in anywhere into it.Â

That's my biggest fear about storyline RP. I've gotten involved in some before, and I have felt like I'm not even there. Sometimes I feel like I'm just an extra in someone else's TV show. I often feel like the story has already been written, and that half of the time there's no place for me, but people don't want to feel mean, so they say "oh sure, you can be in our story RP", when really they mean "Oh sure, you can watch our story unfold and not actually have any part of it."

I have nothing against story RP. I would actually love to be involved in stuff that isn't just your "Hello, what can I get you to drink?" "How was your day?" RP I have just had a few crap experiences with story RP that kind of put me off for a while. Please, feel free to change my mind. I'm completely open to change. Right now though, I do enjoy my slice of life RP because it's not just 'bar RP'. It's performance RP, it's business RP, it's work RP, it's entertainment RP, it's fame RP, it's a catharsis.

Nebbs · **07-04-2016, 09:26 AM**

(07-04-2016, 09:07 AM)Raeje Wrote: ...
That's my biggest fear about storyline RP. I've gotten involved in some before, and I have felt like I'm not even there. Sometimes I feel like I'm just an extra in someone else's TV show. I often feel like the story has already been written, and that half of the time there's no place for me, but people don't want to feel mean, so they say "oh sure, you can be in our story RP", when really they mean "Oh sure, you can watch our story unfold and not actually have any part of it."
.....

I know snooze. My advice, enable others RP in scenes you create and let them try things etc.. Don't do things with a predefined answer just let them progress with things that seem reasonable. This takes flexibility and a looseness if story to alow.

Conversely the players have to respect someone has put effort into the writing a story. So they should try to work within that or run the risk of the GM going home .

Myself I like it when two story tellers mash together. It becomes like who's line is it anyway... improv and freeform rp.

[Discussion] What do you mean, "Looking for storyline"?

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