(09-12-2013, 01:06 PM)Siobhain Wrote: But isn't there a level of confusion for new people who see us say things like this that makes them think they need to change what they're doing before ever getting into the game? To act more in the way of people who favor or write really convincing posts or explanations, even if they're not entirely based on lore so much as their own opinions?
People want to fit in, especially in something they enjoy. If I'm really impressed by a character and the RPer has standards like yours, despite my own, I'll probably try to accommodate you. Some people don't know how. It can be very disheartening or frightening.
Yes, being new comes with its own set of issues, especially when trying to fit into an established group. It's extremely intimidating to try to fit someone else's firmly established standards - I've been there. The first RP group I was ever in (before then I'd only done one-on-one) was controlling, judgmental and extremely toxic. They bullied someone out of their corner of the internet because she said she disliked a character that the moderators liked (I wish I was kidding). They kept private chatrooms to mock and laugh at other players and their characters. I'm not even exaggerating out of spite - they openly edited their profiles and made lengthy posts with insults and mockery for everyone to see.
Eventually they managed to drive out 90% of their players. They are so incredibly possessive that they actually took over the characters of players who left.
That was my first exposure to group RP. All of these people were extremely well-spoken and wrote lengthy, detailed, convincing explanations. Naturally, I took it as the RP standard for a while, and so did others, or we wouldn't have joined - but eventually, we realized that those were actually terrible standards, and left.
Which isn't to say every newbie's experience is as extreme - there are great people out there, just as much as there are jerks out there. Both can be equally eloquent and sound equally convincing, and both can surprise you with how accommodating they can (or can't) be.
I'm past the stage of experimentation and I know exactly what I'm looking for in RP these days - new people often do not, and the only solution is to get out there and experiment. You may be really impressed by someone's character and a big fan of their interpretation of lore, and then end up really disappointed in the person themselves. Or you may think someone sounds uninformed and outlandish, and they're the easiest person in the world to work with.
I can only speak for myself, but while I am very set on what kind of RP I am looking for, I am also very likely to do as much as possible to include someone who wants to try it out. I likely can't/won't change a group's established lore to accommodate one person, since that'd be unreasonable, but I'm more than willing to try and find alternatives/explanations for things. Sometimes a thing or two about a character just won't fit with the group's headcanon, which is unfortunate. I have, personally, rolled alts before to fit in with a group, because an existing character wouldn't. It happens.
I've been called intimidating multiple times. People are often afraid to talk to me and end up judged (or worse, somehow). But in the end, if people don't put themselves out there and try to talk to RPers/groups they like, then they really won't find a group to belong in. Everyone who is experienced today started somewhere, too.
On the plus side, since people who have set standards also tend to be very vocal about those standards, you have a better idea of what to expect, and if you want to avoid those people, you can. Ironically, I am shy about open world RP. It intimidates me to not know what other people's standards are, to not know if I'm intruding or not. I can't just walk up to someone and RP, anxiety dictates I need to know what to expect before I try.
...Which is why I only even signed up in these forums after a topic I could identify with came up. :x
