Roleplayer Uncertainty/Insecurity Theater

[Nero]

I frequently worry about the cohesiveness of my writing. I am extraordinarily detail oriented when it comes to events and characters "making sense". Is this character inconsistent in their behaviour and attitudes? Are these motivations justifiable? Did how this event happen and why it happened make sense? Do these things open the way to other actions, or did I write myself into a corner?

 

When it comes to things like movies, books, or basically anything with a narrative, I am horrendously nitpicky regarding these things. I'm the first to point out plot holes or to complain that a character is being inconsistent, and this lends itself to me being extra extra critical with the way I set up my own narratives.

[Caspar]

I frequently worry about the cohesiveness of my writing. I am extraordinarily detail oriented when it comes to events and characters "making sense". Is this character inconsistent in their behaviour and attitudes? Are these motivations justifiable? Did how this event happen and why it happened make sense? Do these things open the way to other actions, or did I write myself into a corner?

 

When it comes to things like movies, books, or basically anything with a narrative, I am horrendously nitpicky regarding these things. I'm the first to point out plot holes or to complain that a character is being inconsistent, and this lends itself to me being extra extra critical with the way I set up my own narratives.

Looking at it a certain way, you could be more proud of this than anxious. For some people, making things seem plausible is a primary goal in writing a narrative, and it gives them satisfaction. I think that it is a part of their style and probably an inseparable element of their personality as well.

 

This is just my own belief, but I think fiction is an attempt to impose order on the chaotic meaninglessness of everyday life. People already have a tendency to perceive correlation between unrelated things and search for meaning in objects and experiences that actually have none. So if fiction is written by people, it would naturally also reflect those connections and the meaning they believe they saw; whether conscious or unconscious, everything happens for a reason, even if it was something as simple as "this happened to me," or "I like this color." I think the characters aren't exempt from this either. They resemble a person, and an excuse is made for how or why they do something within the story on behest of the writer, but the fact is they are there because the writer put them there. They exist to articulate the narrative, and everything else is a device meant to make the reader think they're plausible, or they themselves are the device, made to create the illusion of chaotic meaninglessness. 

 

That's why to me it doesn't seem that strange, or something to be anxious about, that you try to square it all away. It shouldn't be, since you are writing it. That writing will inevitably reflect the way you perceive things. If it didn't make sense to you, you probably didn't write it.

 

While I wouldn't necessarily go as far, I think that, for instance, if I'm writing a scene and I feel the character's actions and background don't line up properly, that sort of instinct is probably coming from the same desire to create order within the narrative. Obviously, if it interfered with my enjoyment, or if it made it hard for me to play with others, I wouldn't be happy about it. Even as recently as with some events, I haven't been able to write myself in because I felt I couldn't come up with a reason for her to be involved that satisfied me, even though I really wanted to participate.

[Kurt S.]

Sometimes I'm not sure about my characters anymore.

 

What drives them, what motivates them, what they wanted to do, who they are. 

 

I used, but now I'm not so sure. I want to start with a fresh character but at the same time I can't exactly cannibalize my existing ones because someone somewhere might still want to interact with them, albeit on rare occasions. I'm also not keen going through ARR/2.5 for the 9th time. 

 

I dunno just feels like I'm grasping at straws just so something happens to them. 

 

*Case and point. After seeing the BLM /vpose I just knew I had to integrate some really Owain-stuff to it. Along the lines of "MY SPELLHAND HUNGERS" Under the pretense of a cheap manual telling him(Kurt) how to unlock his 'Spellhand' and how it translates to being a better thaumaturge. All a load of bull of course but it came at a bargain so...*

 

I've got ideas. Finding people to put these ideas into practice without making it look forced is the tricky bit. Overcoming my timezone differences is just as tricky. So anyone know any efficient way to pull all nighters? Since that's the only real way I can put myself in EU friendly events.

[Dracyn]

Some how I always manage to find the rp partner who never logs in reliably or only logs in if I beg them to or if there's some event.

 

Which has essentially led to not one but 5 separate plotlines across two games being abandoned/retconned because the person I depended on being there just stopped logging in. No word no warning, just one day they never logged in again. Which causes me to become depressed and generally abandon the game and character.

 

I am honestly concerned that there might be something wrong with me, that I drive people away from rping and gaming in general.

[Nebbs]

Some how I always manage to find the rp partner who never logs in reliably or only logs in if I beg them to or if there's some event.

 

Which has essentially led to not one but 5 separate plotlines across two games being abandoned/retconned because the person I depended on being there just stopped logging in. No word no warning, just one day they never logged in again. Which causes me to become depressed and generally abandon the game and character.

 

I am honestly concerned that there might be something wrong with me, that I drive people away from rping and gaming in general.

 

No no, it takes a certain kind of RPer to venture into the long term side of RP, it's not you.

 

There are many folks who are more like moths flitting from one RP/game to another. Even then others like the first part of an RP engagement and go off to seek more freshness when this dies down.

 

I myself look for longer term RP that makes me think, but honestly most of what I find remains superficial which is only really good for passing-by RP. You only get past my random RP front if you stick around.

 

All I can say is make your plots less reliant on an individual, progress them when you can or in downtime. Be prepared to run off at tangents/distractions as you RP with others. I often treat them as the slowly changing story of my character.

 

If you are finding RP then keep going, there will likely be another potential along shortly.

 

Psst - you know there is something wrong with everyone, right?

[Nirri]

1.) Does it bother the other person that I write lengthy emotes and take my time? Should I shorten it down when they themselves don't write lengthy emotes?

 

 

2.) Can I properly maintain the focus between the various people, a character of mine has encountered without neglecting one for the other. (Proper time seperation between other people.)

 

 

3.) If without an FC / LS / RP-bubble, can I continue to find and establish a good line of roleplay through a manner of walk ups or previous RP encounters while avoiding the risk of falling into a slump or staring at the wall till the end of days.

 

 

4.) Does the person on the other end even want to RP at all with me and is just being nice for the sake of being nice. This also translates into just talking OOC, planning stuff where I just start to feel like one is a constant bother and the one word replies like "Yeah. Alright. Fine, thanks, etc..." or some stupid smiley in the end just means "Just go away." and in the end all they talk/RP with me with is out of some pity.

 

In the end on the above I tend to get over such feelings and know it's not always like this, but its' just how my brain works in the end and no matter how much someone dissuades me from such thoughts it always falls back into it.

[ExAtomos]

I'm running three characters and 2 story arcs; I wish I could be in two places at once sometimes. ><

 

I have playable npcs and sometimes someone's story would be a really good fit for one of my 'npcs', I'm not sure how to go get the other character and pull them into the story. 

 

One of my characters has a loose grip on reality, how do I convey this without it being too much (and annoying to others)?

 

What do I do when chatting with someone who includes the WoL story in their RP and I don't?

 

I am able to play a lot every day, how do I deal with someone who doesn't and wants to pick up where we left off last time... when I've moved on from that point?

 

I MUCH prefer seeing a few short sentence of emotes & dialog than some wall of text. Am I alone in this? Plus, I like including the little details like what people do irl (such as looking over a menu, describing body language such as shifting uncomfortably when questioned, or doing things such as adding another log to the campfire); is this seen as chat clutter and unwanted?

 

I do hope to get to meet more people out and about sometime. I know it's slow going.

[Chompie]

I MUCH prefer seeing a few short sentence of emotes & dialog than some wall of text. Am I alone in this? Plus, I like including the little details like what people do irl (such as looking over a menu, describing body language such as shifting uncomfortably when questioned, or doing things such as adding another log to the campfire); is this seen as chat clutter and unwanted?

 

This bit in particular, I just HAVE to comment on- I think that body language and other such 'fluff emotes' in the midst of a conversation are SUPER important. They help with scene continuity, they give a better idea of who a character is, they can make awkward silences feel more purposeful, and they add that little bit of uncertainty that always comes with communication.

 

If Arblis is kicking her heels against the foot of her chair, what does that mean? Is she nervous? Bored? Thoughtful? Does she even realize she's doing it? If the other person reacts to it, you have created An Interaction, and that's kind of the whole point of RP, isn't it? Plus it lets you set up expectations and understanding of a character's normal behavior, and by making them notably absent or making little changes to them, companions WILL notice, in a way that's much more organic than just saying '/em looks like she's real tired of all these negotiations.'

 

 

I'm still a mess over figuring out proper post length though. If a character has a very choppy train of thought, isn't it better to chop up disparate thoughts into separate lines? But that can be annoying because then the other person is already writing a response and you shove another thing in there and that changes things and it's a pain. But maybe it's still the right thing to do because the character is supposed to be kind of annoying and disruptive. But it's still OOC annoying and that's never a good thing to aim for.

 

*emits commiseration rays*

[ExAtomos]

 

This bit in particular, I just HAVE to comment on- I think that body language and other such 'fluff emotes' in the midst of a conversation are SUPER important. They help with scene continuity, they give a better idea of who a character is, they can make awkward silences feel more purposeful, and they add that little bit of uncertainty that always comes with communication.

 

...

 

I'm still a mess over figuring out proper post length though. If a character has a very choppy train of thought, isn't it better to chop up disparate thoughts into separate lines? But that can be annoying because then the other person is already writing a response and you shove another thing in there and that changes things and it's a pain. But maybe it's still the right thing to do because the character is supposed to be kind of annoying and disruptive. But it's still OOC annoying and that's never a good thing to aim for.

 

*emits commiseration rays*

 

Exactly so, in a bar for example, people move around, drink, check each other out... all those little things that bring the room to life

 

 

As far as short typing vs long... I will wait if I feel something I said would elicit a response. It can be a bit difficult, I'll admit, since I'm usually a fast typer. :3

[Zhavi]

I constantly worry that I'm boring, that my characters aren't compelling enough and my plots are uninteresting. Then on top of that, I constantly worry that my longterm rp partners will give up on me because of my constant in and out activity. I always want to rp more, but that drive isn't always there depending on rl -- so it comes down to people being willing to put up with that because they like my writing or characters (or me, as a rp partner).

 

But what if it's not good enough? What if I get boring or cliche? What if my self-imposed standards of quality slip? What if my characters fail to grow or fall into a rut of bad dialogue and overgrown prose?

 

What if I'm not good enough?

 

Eugh.

 

At least I'm not alone! It's so easy to look at the things others have said in this thread (whose writing I know) and think 'oh, what do you have to worry about? You're an amazing writer, and your rp rocks!'

 

...sometimes impossible to say that to myself. We're all the same in that, aren't we? (out of the people posting here, anyways)

[Kellach Woods]

One thing with fluff emotes...

 

Please turn off the write out the emote option if you're going to be using a lot of these. A few of them do not have the text you want associated with them.

[Nebbs]

When I am running some plot and I think people are enjoying it but I unsure since the doubt is strong in my head. Quite often I feel down after running RP because of that doubt.

 

So please if you enjoy someone's efforts just tell them, a word of thanks is like a warm hug.

[Dis]

I basically worry about everything.  And I mean that in a kind of literal sense.  Everything from 'Is my RP stale and boring?' to 'Is Glioca too strong and that's the reason no one wants to engage with her?' 

 

Is the fact that she's 'older' (nearly double the usual elezen lifespan) with the use of alchemy/conjury/echo/carefulness too much of a thing for people to want to interact with her?  I've had mixed results, but I often wonder if that's the biggest thing that causes people to withdraw from her. 

 

Is there some fatal character flaw I've given her that I don't see, but others do?  I've even been toning her strength down through RP and plot to where she's 'more realistic' (as gauged by what we've seen non-WoL NPC's accomplish).

 

The worry and insecurities have kind of shoved me back into a hole that I rarely crawl out of, and now I tend to avoid open world RP almost entirely because of it.  The worst part is that this has made me unhappy as a player, because I adore interacting with and meeting new people, and expanding my RP circle to include other players.

 

I also worry that I'm just not engaging enough for people to want to interact with in any capacity. But I think that can sometimes be a universal RP'er thing, more than just a 'one specific person about this one specific character' thing.

[Teadrinker]

I'm scared that my ideas suck. I'm scared my spontaneous events suck. I'm scared my DMing combat sucks. I'm scared my plotlines suck. I'm scared I don't somehow manage to involve enough people.

 

I get told the contrary all the damn time but like....ugh. Make it go away. Like I'm open to criticism and the people I'm with have offered it to others before I've heard them but there is usually none for me and I don't know if that means I'm doing a good job or if I suck so bad they don't wanna touch that shit.

 

Like the bar I set for myself is sooooo fucking high. I don't pull the trigger on any idea or event unless I have meticulous amounts of thought put into it about who might do what and contingencies upon contingencies and weave plot and ideas into each other and into other characters backstories to try and loop them in and give everyone a chance to feel important and try to feel like they matter while still getting the general ideas across.

 

Ironically though, I have the most fun with just a general concept and I'm just flying by the seat of my pants with someone I like and trust.

 

/diatribe

[Kodie]

It's always been a thing for me through my years of rping, but I always worry that my partner may get bored in the middle of a scene, so I always find myself asking in the middle of it "Hope you're having fun!", and of course the whole thought of "Oh man they hate this, they think I suck, ugh!"

 

I also prefer private rps mostly because I always think that other people outside my roleplay will judge me for some reason.

 

Yay for insecurities!

[Coda]

I'm mostly afraid of not doing my character justice. My current main, Wander, is a brash, childish, thieving, unrepentant loudmouth with a penchant for substance abuse while my typical characters are calm introverts. 

 

It's hard. I've caught myself slip back into that solitary, polite, 'head-y' mindset more times than I care to admit. I'm sure I'll get it eventually but for now I'm worried she might not come across the way I intend

[A'mahri]

I have a constant fear of how others will feel when it comes to the characters that I make. I used to enjoy having chaotic aligned characters, until someone decided they want to mix IC and OOC and created a huge mess which sorta turned me away from RP for a long time until coming to FF. Since then, I've mostly made lawful/neutral characters so that doesn't happen again. < __ >

 

I also have a tendency of worrying about what other people think while RP'ing with them. It feels this way more so when our characters are just having a bit of chit chat..like "oh noooo, I'm being boring, my character is boring, they're getting bored time to wrap this up byebye D:"

 

Lastly, I worry that my characters are a bit too 'convenient' most of the time. I'm not the type of person to take huge roles and prefer being some sort of support. For example, my current character is a retainer/work partner of another character. I also try not to give them too many skills as well in fear that my character would get called out as a mary-sue.

 

tl;dr - I worry too much about what other people think while RPing.

[Caspar]

I'm mostly afraid of not doing my character justice. My current main, Wander, is a brash, childish, thieving, unrepentant loudmouth with a penchant for substance abuse while my typical characters are calm introverts. 

 

It's hard. I've caught myself slip back into that solitary, polite, 'head-y' mindset more times than I care to admit. I'm sure I'll get it eventually but for now I'm worried she might not come across the way I intend

I feel similarly. True my character is not a dunce and she know a lot about her field of focus, but she is not a very cerebral character and prefers to think less than more. It is more comfortable that way.

 

I was pigeonholed into smarty pants characters by my old forum, not by any fault of theirs or my own, and so I worry if my lines sound right and maintain proper "voice." I want to avoid things like Hu Ge's Guo Jing in Condor Heroes, where an ostensibly thickheaded, perhaps even stupid, character is mysteriously wise or perceptive in situations he wasn't in the original novel.

[Dat Oni]

For me, my insecurities lie with trying to get a plot arc going so my character is more than a walking backstory, but being afraid to do so because I feel I may not be able to get an interesting enough story going or that I'll somehow just manage to completely fuck it up.

[111]

My Insecurity is the new FC i'm starting.

 

I hope I don't fuck it up agaaaaaiinnnnn.

 

Arghghghgh!

[Delilah Scythewood]

I tend to make characters that fall into three categories: the grumpy but (strangely) lovable, the maternal, or the vivacious/cheerful/friendly. Of course, I've played characters that have ventured outside of that scope on numerous occasions. But these three tend to reign supreme.

 

The grumpy: I'm always nervous that I won't be able to get RP on grumpy characters because they're so...well, grumpy. Sometimes blunt and rude. Some times close lipped and not very responsive. Sometimes even volatile if their space or buttons are pushed too much. This can sometimes put off players/characters and prevent further RP, which gets me droopy at times since the grumps can be really enjoyable once you give them time @_@

 

The maternal: My mains in GW2, FF14, and WoW all ended up being maternal types. Usually not starting that way and just growing into those shoes over time and development. While a generally well liked character type, I fret sometimes over how likable they can be. Some might think 'How can that be a bad thing?!' and so I'll break it down:

 

I've had a variety of problems over a variety of MMOs (that's been a mix of fault on both sides) in the last fifteen or so years of roleplay where people like my character too much. They want more RP time with them, more development, more interactions, more one-on-one scenes, moremoremoremoremore. I'm only one person with so many hours in the day to devote to being awake and to gaming. Usually I can only fit two or three engagements in an evening depending on the length and how much attention is needed. Sometimes this has ended in fall out where the other person gets discontent, gets mad at me, sulks, etc.

 

Usually this only happens with characters of mine that fall into the maternal scope of things. Even though I've had plenty of great experiences...I sometimes catch myself stressing.

The cheerful/friendly: Usually these are my least troublesome characters, but I'll still worry if their cheerfulness is being annoying or not @_@

[Dat Oni]

My Insecurity is the new FC i'm starting.

 

I hope I don't fuck it up agaaaaaiinnnnn.

 

Arghghghgh!

 

Relax, you'll do fine. How could you possibly fuck it up, anyroad?

[111]

My Insecurity is the new FC i'm starting.

 

I hope I don't fuck it up agaaaaaiinnnnn.

 

Arghghghgh!

 

Relax, you'll do fine. How could you possibly fuck it up, anyroad?

 

 

Well how long do you have? You might want to get a chair and a drink because this could be a long list.

[Dat Oni]

My Insecurity is the new FC i'm starting.

 

I hope I don't fuck it up agaaaaaiinnnnn.

 

Arghghghgh!

 

Relax, you'll do fine. How could you possibly fuck it up, anyroad?

 

 

Well how long do you have? You might want to get a chair and a drink because this could be a long list.

 

 

I came prepared. Lay it on me.

[Max]

MY BIGGEST UNCERTAINTY/INSECURITY... TIME!

 

As someone who predominately roleplayed in forums, adapting to the mmo format has continued to be challenging for me and my particular writing style.

 

I find myself rushing a lot when rping in game. I don't wanna take too long with my responses since I (personally) tend to find long pauses to be awkward in a real-time mmo setting. With that said, as a forum rper I actually prefer having plenty of time to sit back and analyze what my character would say and do next. In MMO rp I feel I don't have that luxury (of time).

 

COMBAT

 

This sort of ties in with my thingy above. I actually love to write combat stuff, but on the spot it's very hard for me and I find myself flailing and hoping I'm not interpreting the other persons actions wrongly. One of the main reasons I've avoided participating in the Grindstone :cry:

 

Also... continuations, I guess. I've had my fair share of rp and met many characters, but I haven't really had anything consistent in terms of development with other characters. It's usually we meet once or twice and that's it. Never anything substantive enough to develop Max.

 

EDIT:

OH, AND ALSO.. CROWDED EVENTS AND FLOODED CHATS.

I'm always afraid I'll miss something due to the lack of chat bubbles and I find it overwhelming at times.