I can sort of kind of relate. I don't exactly feel like I'm in the outside looking in because OOCly, I am friends with a wide variety of folks from all different parts of the server and it's wonderful. Everyone is extremely friendly and kind - it really makes me appreciate the RP community in FFXIV far more than any RP community I've been in in other MMOs.
Unfortunately, I can be CRIPPLINGLY SHY and thus, haven't RPed with all of these awesome people very much even though I adore them all OOC. (If I poked you going "AMG LET'S RP!" and then haven't followed up, this is why. :V) I want to RP with soooo many people so bad - and I KNOW a lot of people wouldn't mind at all if I just ran up and tried RPing with them! But I hit a brick wall in not knowing how to initiate RP and afterwards give my characters a reason to keep chatting folks up. It's not quite as difficult on my more social characters like Leilani or Furious Storm, but on more broody-dork characters like Tiergan, it can be tough.
I think that is the main problem that perhaps many people face when trying to Kool-Aid Man their way into some RP - cooking up a catalyst or a reason why you might interact with people who are either strangers or just acquaintances you don't know very well.
In real life, we become friends with each other because some scenario draws us together. Perhaps we work together, or engage in the same activity, or have the same goals - in RP, sometimes that stuff has to be constructed.
I'm trying to brainstorm a plot for myself that basically gives me a free excuse to hunt down anyone I want for RP, but I still have to work out the details in it. If it works out and becomes the magical key for RP-times, I'll let you know how I went about things. :>
Unfortunately, I can be CRIPPLINGLY SHY and thus, haven't RPed with all of these awesome people very much even though I adore them all OOC. (If I poked you going "AMG LET'S RP!" and then haven't followed up, this is why. :V) I want to RP with soooo many people so bad - and I KNOW a lot of people wouldn't mind at all if I just ran up and tried RPing with them! But I hit a brick wall in not knowing how to initiate RP and afterwards give my characters a reason to keep chatting folks up. It's not quite as difficult on my more social characters like Leilani or Furious Storm, but on more broody-dork characters like Tiergan, it can be tough.
I think that is the main problem that perhaps many people face when trying to Kool-Aid Man their way into some RP - cooking up a catalyst or a reason why you might interact with people who are either strangers or just acquaintances you don't know very well.
In real life, we become friends with each other because some scenario draws us together. Perhaps we work together, or engage in the same activity, or have the same goals - in RP, sometimes that stuff has to be constructed.
I'm trying to brainstorm a plot for myself that basically gives me a free excuse to hunt down anyone I want for RP, but I still have to work out the details in it. If it works out and becomes the magical key for RP-times, I'll let you know how I went about things. :>