1) When there are 6+ people RPing in one place, sometimes you're not being ignored on purpose. I'm sure there are some massive douchenozzle RPers out there who will be jerks and ignore you on purpose. However, if there are more then 6+ people all chatting at once in one location - there's a really, really good chance people are going to miss what you have to say if you're a stranger trying to break into the conversation.Â
It's very, very hard to track what everyone's saying at once, and once the number of people talking at the same time reaches a high enough number, myself and a lot of people I know will just start scanning the chat for names we know are talking to us so we don't miss what's being said.
This is why I both love and hate RP events where there are a giant mess of people all attempting to socialise at the same time because it can just get really, really impossible to RP sometimes when everyone's chattering at once.
2) If you're not sure whether you're being ignored or not - just ask OOC via tells if you can join in the RP.
If you're trying to break in a conversation, and no one's responding - just poke someone (who is very obviously chatting and definitely at their computer) and ask OOC if it's alright for your character to break into the convo for random RP. The game literally makes a noise and colors the text differently for easy reading - so if that person just keeps on RPing right after you sent the tell and totally ignores you, then you know for certain they're a jerk and you don't have to bother.
Otherwise, they'll either tell you "Sure, join us!" and you can point out that your character said a few things that likely got missed in the slog of chat - or they'll tell you "Sorry, we're just RPing with each other right now"Â And at least at that point you know not to waste your time.
3) OOC communication in general is key and can solve a lot of problems.
Not sure what's going on in RP? Ask OOC. Not sure if someone would enjoy the type of RP you're about to launch their way? Ask OOC. Not sure how to join in an RP event/story arc/random RP that's already running? Ask OOC. The biggest problem I see pop-up again and again in almost every RP community I join is that people don't think to go the simple route of OOC Communication to work out potential problems before they get big. Almost every situation can get resolved just by very politely chatting things over OOC before resuming.
4) If you're trying to get random RP, make it super easy to drag your character into things.
Just like your character probably wouldn't hail down some strangers out of the blue without good reason because it's not realistic. Other people's characters won't just hail down yours out of the blue without good reason either. Make it easy for them. Sit closer to the group. Stand somewhat nearby. If your character is the type to just run up to people and say hi - awesome! If not, try to provide some easy 'hook' for people to jump on so they can drag you into the RP in a way that feels natural for both their character and yours. If you sit on the other side of the room or just walk right past without emoting or saying anything - that doesn't really make it easy for anyone to make with the mutually beneficial RP awesomeness.
This is ESPECIALLY true if another person is providing a 'hook' for RP as well! You're just making it easier for each other!
5) if someone provides you a hook, for the love of god meet them halfway. Or just acknowledge that maybe that bit of random RP isn't going to work out for you.
If someone gives you a hook that might not be the greatest most appropriate one for your character, it's not their responsibility or obligation to keep trying to provide you with more hooks until they hit one that fits exactly with your character's interests.
Someone's taking the time to try and include you, at least work with them or provide a hook of your own to make it easier on them. Meet them halfway.
6) When there's a deeper, more serious conversation going on - sometimes it's just really, really hard to include total strangers unless you give them a solid hook.
While at first my RP at the Quicksand started off with Tiergan being hammered - there were two instances were another RPer showed up that wanted to talk Serious Business™.  In one case, it was a woman who came to tell the assembled group that a mutual friend was very hurt, possibly in trouble, and why. In this scenario - my character would be EXTREMELY focused on finding out more about his hurt friend, then he would striking up light conversation with a total stranger. It would be much easier if the stranger offered to help with the hurt friend, or went with the flow of the conversation in that manner - otherwise, it's just very tough.
Think about it: If in real life, someone you knew came to you to speak with you about how a friend you know is in the hospital - would you realistically be thinking about how to chat with a complete stranger you have no bonds with standing nearby?
Later, another RPer appeared and pointedly mentioned he wanted to speak privately with four people in the assembled group about a serious matter. We all got up and started leaving - at this point, there was just no way to include a stranger. My character was being led off to go have serious-business talk in private. The RP was transitioning from being open to more closed.Â
That's all I got - feel free to agree or disagree. If you disagree, I'd definitely love to read why, because I'm sure I have the wrong idea somewhere and could use some enlightening to make this whole process less of a pain in the butt for both myself and others in the future. /salute
It's very, very hard to track what everyone's saying at once, and once the number of people talking at the same time reaches a high enough number, myself and a lot of people I know will just start scanning the chat for names we know are talking to us so we don't miss what's being said.
This is why I both love and hate RP events where there are a giant mess of people all attempting to socialise at the same time because it can just get really, really impossible to RP sometimes when everyone's chattering at once.
2) If you're not sure whether you're being ignored or not - just ask OOC via tells if you can join in the RP.
If you're trying to break in a conversation, and no one's responding - just poke someone (who is very obviously chatting and definitely at their computer) and ask OOC if it's alright for your character to break into the convo for random RP. The game literally makes a noise and colors the text differently for easy reading - so if that person just keeps on RPing right after you sent the tell and totally ignores you, then you know for certain they're a jerk and you don't have to bother.
Otherwise, they'll either tell you "Sure, join us!" and you can point out that your character said a few things that likely got missed in the slog of chat - or they'll tell you "Sorry, we're just RPing with each other right now"Â And at least at that point you know not to waste your time.
3) OOC communication in general is key and can solve a lot of problems.
Not sure what's going on in RP? Ask OOC. Not sure if someone would enjoy the type of RP you're about to launch their way? Ask OOC. Not sure how to join in an RP event/story arc/random RP that's already running? Ask OOC. The biggest problem I see pop-up again and again in almost every RP community I join is that people don't think to go the simple route of OOC Communication to work out potential problems before they get big. Almost every situation can get resolved just by very politely chatting things over OOC before resuming.
4) If you're trying to get random RP, make it super easy to drag your character into things.
Just like your character probably wouldn't hail down some strangers out of the blue without good reason because it's not realistic. Other people's characters won't just hail down yours out of the blue without good reason either. Make it easy for them. Sit closer to the group. Stand somewhat nearby. If your character is the type to just run up to people and say hi - awesome! If not, try to provide some easy 'hook' for people to jump on so they can drag you into the RP in a way that feels natural for both their character and yours. If you sit on the other side of the room or just walk right past without emoting or saying anything - that doesn't really make it easy for anyone to make with the mutually beneficial RP awesomeness.
This is ESPECIALLY true if another person is providing a 'hook' for RP as well! You're just making it easier for each other!
5) if someone provides you a hook, for the love of god meet them halfway. Or just acknowledge that maybe that bit of random RP isn't going to work out for you.
If someone gives you a hook that might not be the greatest most appropriate one for your character, it's not their responsibility or obligation to keep trying to provide you with more hooks until they hit one that fits exactly with your character's interests.
Someone's taking the time to try and include you, at least work with them or provide a hook of your own to make it easier on them. Meet them halfway.
6) When there's a deeper, more serious conversation going on - sometimes it's just really, really hard to include total strangers unless you give them a solid hook.
While at first my RP at the Quicksand started off with Tiergan being hammered - there were two instances were another RPer showed up that wanted to talk Serious Business™.  In one case, it was a woman who came to tell the assembled group that a mutual friend was very hurt, possibly in trouble, and why. In this scenario - my character would be EXTREMELY focused on finding out more about his hurt friend, then he would striking up light conversation with a total stranger. It would be much easier if the stranger offered to help with the hurt friend, or went with the flow of the conversation in that manner - otherwise, it's just very tough.
Think about it: If in real life, someone you knew came to you to speak with you about how a friend you know is in the hospital - would you realistically be thinking about how to chat with a complete stranger you have no bonds with standing nearby?
Later, another RPer appeared and pointedly mentioned he wanted to speak privately with four people in the assembled group about a serious matter. We all got up and started leaving - at this point, there was just no way to include a stranger. My character was being led off to go have serious-business talk in private. The RP was transitioning from being open to more closed.Â
That's all I got - feel free to agree or disagree. If you disagree, I'd definitely love to read why, because I'm sure I have the wrong idea somewhere and could use some enlightening to make this whole process less of a pain in the butt for both myself and others in the future. /salute
![[Image: tumblr_m78hq5rtGP1qf4ywho1_500.gif]](https://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m78hq5rtGP1qf4ywho1_500.gif)
![[Image: NCtCate.png]](http://i.imgur.com/NCtCate.png)
![[Image: Ilweransig_zps9ea63f49.png~original]](http://i1293.photobucket.com/albums/b581/Ylthin/Sprites/Topic/Ilweransig_zps9ea63f49.png~original)
![[Image: tumblr_n92fndN0EH1rujdn8o1_500.gif]](https://33.media.tumblr.com/449e130ac31106ec8aeda3d0f121d76b/tumblr_n92fndN0EH1rujdn8o1_500.gif)
Give them something their characters might care about or be interested in.
