I think the term "wallflower" is entirely too generalizing, and so no real solution can be presented without looking at an individual basis.Â
Let's say there are a dozen characters who all have filled-out wiki bios and are have search parameters in-game which say they're IC and interested in RP. But who are they really?
1. Character Bill's player is very particular about post quality and descriptors, and so although he is there and theoretically available for walk-up RP, the reason his character is standing by the rail is because the player is observing to get a feel for who they might even want to interact with. Maybe it's nobody, due to their perception of poor quality. Presenting Bill with more "drivers" and "actors" won't stir him, because he's not looking to be drawn in by activity, he's looking for writing content (which said drivers and actors may or may not have to his satisfaction).
2. Character Jenny's player is waiting for another player who plays Jenny's current romantic interest to arrive in the game, and the Quicksand is where she's most often run into him before. He was supposed to be around yesterday but didn't show, and she's hoping he'll come by on this particular day - but in the meantime, she's also bumming out because of the no-show, and wondering if the romantic interest's player is one of those players who just bails on a story without saying anything. The combination of these circumstances make her not really that interested seeking out alternative RP right then.
3. Character Fred's player really only likes roleplaying with his friends in his Free Company. He considers himself open-minded to new approaches and RP, but in reality he isn't really. Even if he were, his RP with his existing friends takes up the bulk of his time and he doesn't really have room in his schedule to add more. So he parks his character in the Quicksand with good intentions, but ends up just sitting there while he chats OOCly with his existing friends in linkshells or tells.
4. Character Mary's player has recently accepted a promotion at her work, and so her hours have lengthened and become hectic with adapting to new duties and responsibilities. Although she's theoretically open to new RP, and places herself out in the open to get it, she doesn't really have the energy and the clarity of mind to engage anybody.Â
5. Character Joe's player is in fact very open to walk-up RP... as long as it's a female character who doesn't have a boyfriend and appears to be interested in him, because Joe's happiness in RP hinges entirely upon his character getting into a relationship. Also, the walked-up female has to be similar to the player's interest in physical appearance, which means she has to be Hyur, Miqo'te, or Elezen, with fair skin and dark hair, because that's what he likes in real life.
6. Character Gina's player is really into deep, richly-written plots, one of which recently ended a week or so ago. She's taken to parking her character in the Quicksand in search of some inspiration for a new plot. Although she's definitely open to some new RP, she's also rather busy on her PC (she happens to play the game on a console) writing in her character's blog "journal" about the experiences she had on the plot, and so she isn't really paying very much attention to the game.
7. Character Frank is a friend of Gina's, and is currently also in the aftermath of the plot. Like Gina's player, he's open to new RP, but also not really paying attention. He's chatting with Gina's player via Skype while he draws in his sketchbook to immortalize the events of the plot, and to try and motivate himself to work on an art commission that isn't currently very inspiring to him.
8. Character Anne is a secret alt of a player who is normally very active in RP, but she's currently evading some drama in her FC by spending time on her alt that they don't know about. She's open to new RP, but she's also being cautious about who to engage with because she doesn't want to RP with someone she already knows on her main (and she knows a lot of people) because then she'd be lying directly to them by pretending to be a different player. Although she wants some privacy right now, she doesn't want to be a liar, so she's being careful about who she'll even RP with.
9. Character Brad's player is currently going through some hard times with his real-life girlfriend, and so although he's open to new RP, his time is punctuated by talks with his girlfriend when she's home, texts to her and his friends as he tries to cope with what's going on, and his heart just isn't really in the game - but he doesn't want to feel like he's quitting the game or something, and so he hangs around the Quicksand anyway with the vain hope that things will settle down for him enough that maybe he'll RP a little.
10. Character Lisa's player is new to the game and not quite ready to throw herself into the RP swimming pool until she's more comfortable with the lore. For the time being, she's content to just observe and watch. She's flagged in her search info for being available for RP, and would reply if interacted with, but she isn't personally posting without first being posted to.
11. Character George's player wrote that great wiki, but really just wants ERP. He looks like he isn't posting anything, but he's actually engaged in two different ERP scenes via tells, and has his character parked at the Quicksand to keep an eye out for other potential ERP partners that he might set something up with for a later time or another day.
12. Character Zoe's player also looks like she isn't posting anything, but she's actually engaged in RP with two other players who are standing on the rail - they're just doing their RP via party chat because the three of them have difficulty keeping up with chat scroll when it gets really busy in the Quicksand, but the Quicksand is the site where they want their scene to take place. Doing their RP in party chat enables them to easily progress their scene.
So, the point...
In all of the above dozen cases, the character might appear to be a "wallflower", but isn't. The player just has circumstances that an uninformed outsider can't possibly know, or, they're engaging in RP according to what they personally want. In none of these situations is the player shy, introverted, awkward, incapable of engaging, etc.Â
In other words, assumptions are bad. If someone personally expresses that they feel like they're having trouble getting into RP, then the answer to that is simple - RP with them. Introduce them to your friends. Invite them to show up when you and your friends are doing RP. Lacking someone saying they want help, don't assume help is wanted or warranted.
Let's say there are a dozen characters who all have filled-out wiki bios and are have search parameters in-game which say they're IC and interested in RP. But who are they really?
1. Character Bill's player is very particular about post quality and descriptors, and so although he is there and theoretically available for walk-up RP, the reason his character is standing by the rail is because the player is observing to get a feel for who they might even want to interact with. Maybe it's nobody, due to their perception of poor quality. Presenting Bill with more "drivers" and "actors" won't stir him, because he's not looking to be drawn in by activity, he's looking for writing content (which said drivers and actors may or may not have to his satisfaction).
2. Character Jenny's player is waiting for another player who plays Jenny's current romantic interest to arrive in the game, and the Quicksand is where she's most often run into him before. He was supposed to be around yesterday but didn't show, and she's hoping he'll come by on this particular day - but in the meantime, she's also bumming out because of the no-show, and wondering if the romantic interest's player is one of those players who just bails on a story without saying anything. The combination of these circumstances make her not really that interested seeking out alternative RP right then.
3. Character Fred's player really only likes roleplaying with his friends in his Free Company. He considers himself open-minded to new approaches and RP, but in reality he isn't really. Even if he were, his RP with his existing friends takes up the bulk of his time and he doesn't really have room in his schedule to add more. So he parks his character in the Quicksand with good intentions, but ends up just sitting there while he chats OOCly with his existing friends in linkshells or tells.
4. Character Mary's player has recently accepted a promotion at her work, and so her hours have lengthened and become hectic with adapting to new duties and responsibilities. Although she's theoretically open to new RP, and places herself out in the open to get it, she doesn't really have the energy and the clarity of mind to engage anybody.Â
5. Character Joe's player is in fact very open to walk-up RP... as long as it's a female character who doesn't have a boyfriend and appears to be interested in him, because Joe's happiness in RP hinges entirely upon his character getting into a relationship. Also, the walked-up female has to be similar to the player's interest in physical appearance, which means she has to be Hyur, Miqo'te, or Elezen, with fair skin and dark hair, because that's what he likes in real life.
6. Character Gina's player is really into deep, richly-written plots, one of which recently ended a week or so ago. She's taken to parking her character in the Quicksand in search of some inspiration for a new plot. Although she's definitely open to some new RP, she's also rather busy on her PC (she happens to play the game on a console) writing in her character's blog "journal" about the experiences she had on the plot, and so she isn't really paying very much attention to the game.
7. Character Frank is a friend of Gina's, and is currently also in the aftermath of the plot. Like Gina's player, he's open to new RP, but also not really paying attention. He's chatting with Gina's player via Skype while he draws in his sketchbook to immortalize the events of the plot, and to try and motivate himself to work on an art commission that isn't currently very inspiring to him.
8. Character Anne is a secret alt of a player who is normally very active in RP, but she's currently evading some drama in her FC by spending time on her alt that they don't know about. She's open to new RP, but she's also being cautious about who to engage with because she doesn't want to RP with someone she already knows on her main (and she knows a lot of people) because then she'd be lying directly to them by pretending to be a different player. Although she wants some privacy right now, she doesn't want to be a liar, so she's being careful about who she'll even RP with.
9. Character Brad's player is currently going through some hard times with his real-life girlfriend, and so although he's open to new RP, his time is punctuated by talks with his girlfriend when she's home, texts to her and his friends as he tries to cope with what's going on, and his heart just isn't really in the game - but he doesn't want to feel like he's quitting the game or something, and so he hangs around the Quicksand anyway with the vain hope that things will settle down for him enough that maybe he'll RP a little.
10. Character Lisa's player is new to the game and not quite ready to throw herself into the RP swimming pool until she's more comfortable with the lore. For the time being, she's content to just observe and watch. She's flagged in her search info for being available for RP, and would reply if interacted with, but she isn't personally posting without first being posted to.
11. Character George's player wrote that great wiki, but really just wants ERP. He looks like he isn't posting anything, but he's actually engaged in two different ERP scenes via tells, and has his character parked at the Quicksand to keep an eye out for other potential ERP partners that he might set something up with for a later time or another day.
12. Character Zoe's player also looks like she isn't posting anything, but she's actually engaged in RP with two other players who are standing on the rail - they're just doing their RP via party chat because the three of them have difficulty keeping up with chat scroll when it gets really busy in the Quicksand, but the Quicksand is the site where they want their scene to take place. Doing their RP in party chat enables them to easily progress their scene.
So, the point...
In all of the above dozen cases, the character might appear to be a "wallflower", but isn't. The player just has circumstances that an uninformed outsider can't possibly know, or, they're engaging in RP according to what they personally want. In none of these situations is the player shy, introverted, awkward, incapable of engaging, etc.Â
In other words, assumptions are bad. If someone personally expresses that they feel like they're having trouble getting into RP, then the answer to that is simple - RP with them. Introduce them to your friends. Invite them to show up when you and your friends are doing RP. Lacking someone saying they want help, don't assume help is wanted or warranted.
Lydia Lightfoot ~ The Reliquarian's Guild «Relic» ~ Lavender Beds, Ward 12, #41
This player has a sense of humor. If the content of the post suggests otherwise, please err on the side of amusement and friendship, because that's almost certainly the intent. We're all on the same team: Team Roleplayer! Have a smile, have a chuckle, and have a slice of pie. Isn't pie great?
This player has a sense of humor. If the content of the post suggests otherwise, please err on the side of amusement and friendship, because that's almost certainly the intent. We're all on the same team: Team Roleplayer! Have a smile, have a chuckle, and have a slice of pie. Isn't pie great?
