As somebody who has spent much time feeling like an outsider to the RP community, this is a great read. Especially the first part about how to break the stereotypes.
A quick welcome from a group of roleplayers can make a newbie's day when they've bounced from one RP "hub" to another and been ignored (or worse, told to go away) by other roleplayers. There shouldn't need to be some secret sign to bypass the "elitist" shell of a clique. In fact I think that's why you'll sometimes see people stumbling around into taverns while bleeding to death or other cliche "LOOK AT ME" things: they're desperate for somebody, anybody, to respond and haven't felt any success by acting more normal. Or they may just be trolling, but that doesn't mean they should still be ignored and proven to that roleplayers are as elitist as always.
The only other thing I've also run across is the ERP thing, to which I have this to say: There's more to life than relationships IRL, so why make your character's life (at least in public) all about who they are dating? A character who is fused at the shoulder with their significant other can give off Overly Obsessed Girlfriend/Boyfriend vibes which can be very unpleasant for those who've experienced it IRL. Not only that, but it ties into the elitist stereotype if the only people the couple will talk to are those deemed "safe" and play along with how cute they are all the time.
That's enough rambling for now. Feel free to blast me for missing the point or whatever.
A quick welcome from a group of roleplayers can make a newbie's day when they've bounced from one RP "hub" to another and been ignored (or worse, told to go away) by other roleplayers. There shouldn't need to be some secret sign to bypass the "elitist" shell of a clique. In fact I think that's why you'll sometimes see people stumbling around into taverns while bleeding to death or other cliche "LOOK AT ME" things: they're desperate for somebody, anybody, to respond and haven't felt any success by acting more normal. Or they may just be trolling, but that doesn't mean they should still be ignored and proven to that roleplayers are as elitist as always.
The only other thing I've also run across is the ERP thing, to which I have this to say: There's more to life than relationships IRL, so why make your character's life (at least in public) all about who they are dating? A character who is fused at the shoulder with their significant other can give off Overly Obsessed Girlfriend/Boyfriend vibes which can be very unpleasant for those who've experienced it IRL. Not only that, but it ties into the elitist stereotype if the only people the couple will talk to are those deemed "safe" and play along with how cute they are all the time.
That's enough rambling for now. Feel free to blast me for missing the point or whatever.
