(04-09-2014, 02:53 PM)Brynn Wrote: Not to say that spontaneous RP will never lead to lasting connections, because in my experience it has as well. But I consider that pure luck.
Speaking as someone who has recently been trying to branch out as far as roleplay connections are concerned, I cannot stress the above enough.
Spontaneous RPÂ is like casting a line into a still pond. You might get a bite, and you might get what you were after, but there are so many factors beyond your control that you're better off rigging the game by going to the market and straight-out buying the fish you want for dinner.
The trick is, as others have said, to "throw yourself out there", which more or less boils down to exposure. The more often you're around, the more likely you'll run into familiar faces, the more chances you'll have to break out into roleplay (this step really depends on you to be proactive), the more familiar your respective characters will get, and thus the more likely that you'll break into OOC discussion that'll lead to something more solid and lasting.
Tavern-lurking is just a small part of this. Send tells. Walk up to roleplayers who invite walk-ups in their search info. Attend events. Sign up for activities and storylines. Join linkshells. Bounce around some FCs if need be (but at least give them the courtesy of a heads-up that you're doing so).
To expand on the "wallflower" idea: people aren't looking to roleplay with People-to-Whom-Interesting-Things-Happen, they're looking to roleplay with Interesting-People-to-Whom-Things-Happen. Meaning, if you're looking to roleplay as a passive observer, no one is going to go out of their way to invite or include you, because bystanders are boring and might as well be NPCs (harsh but true). If, however, you're proactive about roleplaying (even if you're roleplaying solo, say running around Pearl Lane hunting for some kitten that a client has hired you to catch, stopping occasionally to ask PCs if they've seen said kitty), people will take notice because you're an active, dynamic element rather than a NPC-esque wallflower. Â
As for social anxiety, there shouldn't be. That's one of the marvels of the internet: anonymity gives you the freedom that is lack of repercussions. You can be more forward and bold without having to worry, because unless you go out of your way to share your personal details with them, these people are people you'll never meet or have to deal with in real life. It's a mindset thing, and it's something that takes effort and getting used to (I still suffer on occasion from extreme bouts of shyness where I cannot bring myself to send a /tell to someone I've never spoken with before... despite their search info encouraging me to do so).
...so yeah.
![[Image: 1qVSsTp.png]](http://i.imgur.com/1qVSsTp.png)
