(04-22-2015, 04:18 PM)Graeham Ridgefield Wrote: I'll be honest and say that I don't really know you so this isn't meant as a personal attack: your profile has over thirty player character rumours. That's great! Many people who have been here for quite a long time still have zero. When you post in a thread about your character? People respond directly and exchange friendly banter about the good times you've shared together.
Again, I'm not saying it's a bad thing or that you should feel ashamed. I'm saying that more acknowledgement is needed in regards to the fact that some role-players are trying very hard to contribute/get stuff going and their efforts fall flat time and time again through no fault of their own.
This may sound harsh, and it's not meant in that spirit at all: If a roleplayer is trying very hard to contribute and get stuff going, and their efforts are failing, then it might be a good idea for them to examine what they're doing.
I remember when Aya first came to RPC. She made a few posts looking for RP, and then posted an open RP which I responded to. Much like anyone else. But what stood out to me was that she was both a really good writer and just a really positive person interested in building constructive, collaborative RP. Since then she and I have RPed on occasion (far less frequently than I'd like), and it's *always* a positive experience. In the time I've known her, I've seen her go out of her way to reach out and RP with new players. This is why she has 30 rumors on her wiki and a bunch of positive rep. This is why people banter in a friendly manner with her. She's done the legwork to develop acquaintanceships and friendships with these people. It's honestly acquired.
Personally speaking, I'm not as extroverted as Aya. I prefer one-on-one RP over crowds. Yet I've still managed to develop a lot of connections with C'kayah, and my wiki has a ton of rumors for him, too. I credit two things to this: When I first arrived in FF, I started offering my character as a foil for people - a supporting character in their story. People love getting the chance to let their hero shine, and I would help them do this! The other thing I do (which I continue to do to this day) is I habitually examine people who look like RPers (i.e: People who are walking, or sitting in the QS, or wearing something that looks well thought out) to see if they have RP tags. The ones that aren't actively RPing? I'll send them tells: "Hi! I noticed you're a RPer! What sort of RP do you like?" My friends list is packed because of this. My FC is filled with people I've met this way. It works.
A lot of people like to pretend that social skills are innate. That we simply emerge from the womb with whatever social ability we will have. It's not true. Social skills are skills. They're learned. If you're not getting the interaction you want, then look at changing your skill set. It works.
