I love research. I spent a couple months on and off reading/watching documentaries on gangs and the various ways people interact with that kinda ... thing. I've lived most of my life in a place where there was a gang-related incident exactly once, and all other criminal activity is not in the least organized. Or it's corporate stuff, lulz.
For fightery stuff, I've read testimonials, watched fighting videos with people who were actually familiar with it and could explain shit to me, and talked to a couple amateur/semi-pro mma fighters (my favorite stories were when he had his retina detached during a fight, and what it felt like to piss blood after someone got in a good hit on his kidneys). STILL NOT VERY GOOD AT WRITING IT, THOUGH. (which is why I tend to make characters who aren't very good at fighting)
The rest is more just general knowledge or common sense (though I'm sure I still do a bajillion things wrong or in a way that wouldn't make sense to someone, but hey, it's a learning process!).
To me, it makes your writing --rp or otherwise-- feel way more visceral and real (and as a result, interesting). It's not always necessary, as common sense will go a long, long way, but to me it's what makes the rp more enjoyable.
For fightery stuff, I've read testimonials, watched fighting videos with people who were actually familiar with it and could explain shit to me, and talked to a couple amateur/semi-pro mma fighters (my favorite stories were when he had his retina detached during a fight, and what it felt like to piss blood after someone got in a good hit on his kidneys). STILL NOT VERY GOOD AT WRITING IT, THOUGH. (which is why I tend to make characters who aren't very good at fighting)
The rest is more just general knowledge or common sense (though I'm sure I still do a bajillion things wrong or in a way that wouldn't make sense to someone, but hey, it's a learning process!).
To me, it makes your writing --rp or otherwise-- feel way more visceral and real (and as a result, interesting). It's not always necessary, as common sense will go a long, long way, but to me it's what makes the rp more enjoyable.
