To Plot or to Not: The Question, the Debate

[Khadan]

I'm very much a narrative-based roleplayer. Slice-of-life has its place in deepening character relationships and lending itself to character depth and development, but unless there's a plot to challenge those relationships and provide contextual meaning to that depth, I typically lose interest very quickly.

 

That said, conflict and plot isn't completely necessary to make a session dramatic or intriguing. Plot is a tool, like any other literary device. It's important to remember that at its heart, roleplaying is improvisational writing.

 

I think I'd like to echo this as well. Very well put.

 

Personally I always lean towards plot-driven RP. I also prefer combat and action with some intrigue and political manipulations. Even the occasional espionage plot and setting if I have a character that is good for such things. 

 

I guess if I had to give a reason I'd say it was because slice of life to me is the interlude between action, it's the kind of things that your character does on a mundane level even when you're not online to play them. They're eating, sleeping, training, crafting, or whatever it is they do when they aren't being whatever it is they are primarily (unless of course you are a crafter ICly and that's it, etc then cheers). I think a bit of 'slice of life' is necessary to the adventuring/fighting/soldiering type, too, it 'humanizes' them in a necessary fashion as most characters aren't joyless, emotionless, kill bots. They're people with thoughts, feelings, experiences, and emotions that if written well exhibit all of the aforementioned things because of how their lives have gone. Slice of life is the perfect time to examine those facets of your character and really shine them up.

 

I mentioned this in another thread recently but ultimately what I feel we are trying to accomplish is the telling of a really deep and meaningful story that people will be able to relate to with characters that are deep and interesting as well. Slice of life is a great tool to expose that facet of the characters while plot drives them forward, it's a great chance for those characters exhibit what their experiences have made of them thus far and become even more, later.

 

That said, the more plot the better, for me. =P

[Roen]

I'm very much a narrative-based roleplayer. Slice-of-life has its place in deepening character relationships and lending itself to character depth and development, but unless there's a plot to challenge those relationships and provide contextual meaning to that depth, I typically lose interest very quickly.

 

^

 

This.

 

Couldn't have said it better myself.

[Caspar]

I'm fine to do SoL regularly, since I am well acquainted with how exhausting it is to write detailed plot threads, but I find prolonged SoL without consequence or a good serious event/plot to break it up unambitious and unengaging. It feels like a waste to not adventure or have complex long term relationships that have tangible effects on your future RP. SoL is great for fleshing out characters, and I find I write such depressing schlock that it becomes an ordeal without lighter events to break it up, but it can't satisfy me indefinitely. It's more like break time for me. Even then I am trying to fulfill the story I want to tell

[Flickering Ember]

I love both but it's really the plot based stuff that keeps me going. However, plot based rp without any slice of life makes me sad. I find slice of life to be character building. You get to learn yours and other people's characters. It is want brings your characters together and it just makes plot RP far more impactful.

[KitKat]

The two are not mutually exclusive. I feel our characters are at their best when everything is naturally moving along. If we're involved in plots 100% of the time, there's really no character development. It's all story development. I understand that -those- two things aren't mutually exclusive, either. They just tend to act that way.

 

I'll use my character as an example of what I prefer. She has an overarching goal that is pretty broad in spectrum and relatively unattainable (which I think is perfect for a goal. It keeps characters moving.). She wants to see the war in Ishgard end. Most of her roleplay is mingling around in Coerthas. She has your normal day-to-day conversations: work (she's an astrologian and can tie that into her big goal), friendships, hobbies, etc.

 

Doing all of that presented an opportunity when an Ishgardian heretic chose to steal something from my character, setting into motion a series of events where she is being investigated for heresy.

 

If I had avoided the 'slice of life' aspect of character building, I never would have had an opportunity to let the world shape my character.

[Kellach Woods]

Personally, I like to do my adventuring IC, so slice of life RP is a nice tie back to what my character is doing in downtime. With that said, though, I do like a nice plot now and then. Having both, IMO, helps bring out different aspects of characters. I like to think of it like a comic book -- you want some issues of the X-Men playing basketball, training, and dealing with their interpersonal stuff, and then you want other issues where they're taking down the Bad Guys. For me, where it gets really fun is when you have the interpersonal parts mixed with the plot. I certainly aim for such "Bendis-esque" RP, particularly in IC dungeons.

 

BEWARE ANY SORT OF RED-TINTED MAGICIANS RETCONNING EVERYTHING.

[Clover]

I love plots myself, which is why I don't engage in casual RP in FFXIV. Sadly, most plots people have organized happen at insane hours for us EU players, so I missed the chance to get my main character into one.

 

The only time I truly enjoyed slice of life RP was in an Aion pure RP private server, and that was only because tons of things tended to happen everyday while your character was doing their everyday things. In an official server, however, you know that nothing is really going to happen unless you force it.

[SunTzu7]

I love thinking on my feet, so I don't usually plot anything, unless it's got a lot of significance.

 

Sometimes I enjoy making random ass things I do turn out to be hugely significant later.