How to get into plots?

[Naunet]

Thanks for the info.

 

To clarify, as I just checked my family tree records, the names of PC characters in the Zhwan family are Khaze'to Zhwan, Tyakha Zhwan, and Kinra Zhwan. I dunno if that helps. ^^; But I just thought I'd make sure my info was accurate haha.

[Shae'ra]

When I play a female character, I get much more roleplay. Instantly with the same or other groups.

I find this rather interesting and confusing as in other communities I have seen it the other way around. I really cannot give input into this as I haven't played female characters. Many others above me have given good reasonings however that I could see being very valid aspects in the community.

 

People don't want to roleplay with quiet bookish characters, or characters who are more neutral with their emotions. People want a character who over-reacts or is vibrant about X, Y, Z.

Unless there is a close OOC relationship first that leads into it, I have only really roleplayed well with this kind of character before (Dieuvont) because we knew each other from GW2 before coming here. I tried to play a more reserved character in the beginning (Nahv'ir) and ended up changing over to Shae'ra because it was very hard to interact with others. As Lament mentioned, it's harder to roleplay with these type characters because the person has to want to know more enough to stick around and poke and pride. It can be hard when you feel like you are leading everything, however, characters of this type can do really well once they learn to help carry things along. (Example: Just answering questions and nothing more cuts off whereas answering then questioning or answering then bringing up more information to go off of is helping to carry the RP)

 

If I offer to help it is instantly pushed aside for someone.

I think here it depends what kind of help. Are you purposing to heal someone? I am personally not a fan of total healing (as IC actions = IC consequences to me ) If my character gets hurt, he has to live with it and deal with it: so I will dismiss healing assistance. Also, some people don't want help if they think that they're going to be replaced in the roleplay scenario. I think here it depends on the person and what kind of help is being offered.

 

If I set up plot, it is put aside for other rp with other people.

As someone who comes up with plots to run, I know this can be annoying at times. But I find it's best to hook up on skype and run a detailed plot (this is for plots that are like stories. I have one plot I ran with 3 others that I put into word processor afterward and turned out to be 36 pages long, single spaced.) This way you can roleplay over the course of a few days and deem it as something that doesn't happen until the roleplay ends. This way, any roleplay during when the plot is going isn't effected by the plot (injuries, knowledge, etc).

 

Even after introducing myself and roleplaying for a few good hours, I wont be contacted again for further roleplay - by anyone.

It happens. It takes a while and several times of roleplaying to get into where people call back upon you. Most people call upon guild mates (fc mates) first before newer people that they have met unless they have a 'need' for you.

 

 

I've trialed runnng a few plots for myself and others to get involved with such as:

• IC Dungeons runs for 'research' or adventuring purposes.
  
• A plot dealing with poachers and chocobo chick thieves.
  
• Researching Leviathan.
  

 

Take to mind that not everyone can really do IC dungeon runs. Unfortunately, I am one of them. I am no good at one-liners or quick typing (I like my details) and IC dungeons are quick, fast paced and there is little actual roleplay going on - specially since, as Val mentioned, the timers are eating away on the side before you get kicked.

 

I think you have good ideas for things, just might not be finding the right people thus far for them. Perhaps making a listing of the plot, say the Researching Leviathan one, you could get people who are interested on the forums and then work a way into the game. Example: Say 5 people are interested in it, then have it be that they found out about the task from a (npc) boy/girl who was going around asking questions about Leviathan, when they mentioned that they were trying to do research, said NPC could ask if the RPer's character wanted to help on the research - then there. Just make sure to include server and available times. So you don't have people who can never log in at the same time due to timezones.

 

 

Is there anything people can tell me that wont mean I have to rewrite my Keeper male?

All I can say is to keep at it and find a LS to build up connections in. It takes a while to build them up, but it's do-able. I would only rewrite your character if you personally desire it, like I needed to redo Nahv'ir into Shae'ra because I wasn't enjoying Nahv'ir's style anyway. Don't change your character for other people otherwise you might not even enjoy the RP you get if you don't like roleplaying the character.

[cuideag]

1. Even after introducing myself and roleplaying for a few god hours, I wont be contacted again for further roleplay - by anyone.
    
   

 

 

I have a hard time with this mainly because I am terrified of being seen as annoying or irritating. And folks will tell me that it's okaay, they don't mind, etc. but I just can't. ~___~ Personal anxiety issues are really hard to break, yo.

[Risheid]

1. Even after introducing myself and roleplaying for a few god hours, I wont be contacted again for further roleplay - by anyone.
    
   

 

 

I have a hard time with this mainly because I am terrified of being seen as annoying or irritating. And folks will tell me that it's okaay, they don't mind, etc. but I just can't. ~___~ Personal anxiety issues are really hard to break, yo.

I have the same exact issue. As much as I'd love to continually RP out a storyline with people, I find it a bit hard to initiate it. (To be fair, my character also has difficulty starting up conversations.)

[Erik Mynhier]

I love RPing with guys in guy characters. Whether play by girls or not, there are tons of girls, especially kitties. Sometimes I like to RP with bros, doing bro-fights in taverns and or bro-adventures IC. Its hard to find guys who want to go bro out. Look me up and we'll go RP in the Quicksand and pick up chicks IC. I'll be your wingman, come at me bro.

[CallmeYahweh]

There is a lot of really solid advice and suggestion here in this thread.

 

I'll just add to the choir that I think a lot of it has to do with the game still being fairly fresh, and the massive explosion of people who've gravitated to this site.

 

On the up side, I am always down for RP, and haven't gotten really do to much at all. So open invitation to set something up.

[C'kayah Polaali]

There's a lot of good points in this discussion.

 

I'm pretty new to FF, still, so I don't have a clear view of the RP community here, yet. From RPing in other games, though, I've seen people in situations like you're in. I suspect the solution here is similar to the solution in those other games:

 

• Quiet, bookish characters are hard to get RP with, especially pick-up RP*. The best way around this (as other folks have mentioned) is to reach out to people OOCly. They need to know that you're RPing a quiet, bookish character sitting in the corner, as opposed to just being afk.
  
• I've gotten involved in someone's RP plot through random pick-up RP exactly once. Every other time (both with my own plots and other people's plots) we've all known one another to some degree. I tend to think of pick-up RP as a foot in the door for this sort of thing: it lets you play around with someone you've just met without any commitments.
  
• Be outgoing with your RP. That doesn't mean that you have to RP an extrovert. Instead, it means that you try to draw other people into RP with your actions. Nebbs makes an excellent point about giving. Acting as an enabler for other people's RP is probably the best way to get people to RP with you. I'm pretty quiet at the moment, since I'm still in the "lurk and listen" stage of feeling out the RP community here, but I normally try to do this pretty much every time I play. If you can't think of anything else to try, ask someone about some characteristic of their character. We're RPers, after all. There's nothing we love more than to natter on about our characters.
  
• This is sort of a follow up to the previous point: Always Be RPing. I ran into another RPer while questing in some random deserted corner of the world (in another game). I had my RP tag on, and he stopped to chat a little in character. Just a little throwaway bit about how the mist looked evil, then we were on our way. This little bit of random RP stuck with us both, so we ended up doing a bunch of plot RP together.
  
• Be patient. Some days the RP gods simply aren't smiling on you.
  

*I call the sort of random RP you strike up unexpectedly with someone you've never interacted with "pick-up RP". Sort of like pick-up groups.

[Rosekitten]

I sorta play a semi quiet rp character so i know what you mean by they can have a hard time. On the same note depending on the situation at hand and who he's talking/dealing with my character can be pretty social. Just not when having orders shoved down his throat. 

 

As far as plots not sticking and such I know how that is from years of rp'ing experience. I haven't really made any plots so to say or real plans outside of my own character's story. Though I tend to only really be able to get rp's going with those in my FC anyway. Outside of FC I've had little to no luck in finding people who are willing to take the time. 

 

Loads of rpc or just random rp people on my friends list, most either don't seem to be in the mood for a rp or just seem busy (or never log in cause half the rp people i have met seem to have like 304 characters). Lotta good a list does when no one takes a few moments even though they are normally like here let me friend you so we can rp later! xP

 

As far as what you listed on the front.. I love ic dungeon runs :3 I try to get them in my fc though as of late we've been having a lack of members logging in so I can't exactly do that.. *sighs* My character needs little reason to really go on such runs normally I toss it up to something to do with the main plot of the FC im in (hunting for artifacts and relics).

 

Also on the note of female verse male characters... I actually have mainly seen female rp characters ^^; least with the people i've come across heh. Either way im not changing the gender of the character I enjoy just for the sake of trying to find more rp's.

[Michikyou]

Well since day 1, I have interacted with as many people as possible, I whisper people using walk instead of run if they wanted to rp, people sitting alone if they wanted to.

 

Though sometimes I get a scene or two its never really anything apart from idle chitchat and no one seems really interested in getting to know my character further. Even the people I moved from GW2 over with have found other groups and kinda left me out to dry plot wise.

 

Even when I know Naih can help someone out with their plot or help with their character development they say 'omg yes, sure' and never initiate another time despite me implicitly saying: "TO contact me, just use the XY frequency on any linkpearl."

[Rosekitten]

I think any time I've personally been walking anywhere I have gotten maybe one tell from another rp'er. Most of the time I get tells of people asking questions because as a rp'er it is assumed I am to be nice (though I am so of course I answer things when I know the answer xP). Never have I see where people who are walking actually are rp'ers myself though maybe I have poor timing and luck  seems to be the daily song I sing for myself. My strange irregular times as my husband adjusts to his new job and training.

 

Heck I'm in a rp free company and even when we had everyone logging in regularly there was their own little clicks. I think the only characters I've managed to meet up with more then once were always leadership characters in the FC's I was in >_> not sure that exactly counts as both times I was helping lead or attempting to. *really trying to think of any character besides two that I have met with more then once ic'ly* nope drawing a blank xP 

 

Tons of oh yeah hit me up or I'll message you and that never follows through ^^; I think one of the best rp sessions I had was some random one some time near the start of the games launch before I was even in a FC and had just a random group of travelers in the shroud that happened to agree to get along till they got to Ul'dah at least.

 

Past that I have found most rp'ers I have encountered are very lazy and don't want to rp out plots or minor details, they'd rather work out things in ooc and just say ok this happened. xP great and all... but it kinda kills the mood for me .. maybe its just me and I expect too much detail or its silly to expect something to turn into multiple rp sessions when someone can just ooc mod it to say this happened over x amount of time.

 

~sorry rant done >_<; its early for me and i couldn't sleep... Goes and hides now~

[Nebbs]

..... I think one of the best rp sessions I had was some random one some time near the start of the games launch before I was even in a FC and had just a random group of travelers in the shroud that happened to agree to get along till they got to Ul'dah at least.

 

Past that I have found most rp'ers I have encountered are very lazy and don't want to rp out plots or minor details, they'd rather work out things in ooc and just say ok this happened. xP great and all... but it kinda kills the mood for me .. maybe its just me and I expect too much detail or its silly to expect something to turn into multiple rp sessions when someone can just ooc mod it to say this happened over x amount of time.

...........

 

Two things in reply Rosekitten

 

1. My best ever RP has always been from "drive by" as well as my best RP friends that followed. I just love free-form unstructured improvisation RP. Though I suppose I am quite adapt at coming up with hooks on the spur. Some are not and need ooc structure to create their RP "box".

 

2. I dislike OOC as it spoils the immersion for me. I stay IC as much as possible, even when doing mechanics and running or changing gear but in my head (and if you bump me) I am IC. I rarely have the OOC conversation with someone I am with unless something that required OOC commitment is needed like time, limits etc.. And I loathe OOC dissection if IC things and at times I feel some what this more than RP.

 

So combine the two and add in prodding people and it can be good, with times of scarcity.

 

On and a thought/reflection, I go to the big events people provide and bring my RP. I know that at least the people there want to RP (target rich) and it's a good way to touch a few people then have some follow ups later. Don't just go along with the event, use it as a facilitator for YOUR RP.

 

really.. prod me if you see me.. anyone. We may RP hit it off or we may not.

[Michikyou]

..... I think one of the best rp sessions I had was some random one some time near the start of the games launch before I was even in a FC and had just a random group of travelers in the shroud that happened to agree to get along till they got to Ul'dah at least.

 

Past that I have found most rp'ers I have encountered are very lazy and don't want to rp out plots or minor details, they'd rather work out things in ooc and just say ok this happened. xP great and all... but it kinda kills the mood for me .. maybe its just me and I expect too much detail or its silly to expect something to turn into multiple rp sessions when someone can just ooc mod it to say this happened over x amount of time.

...........

 

Two things in reply Rosekitten

 

1. My best ever RP has always been from "drive by" as well as my best RP friends that followed. I just love free-form unstructured improvisation RP. Though I suppose I am quite adapt at coming up with hooks on the spur. Some are not and need ooc structure to create their RP "box".

 

2. I dislike OOC as it spoils the immersion for me. I stay IC as much as possible, even when doing mechanics and running or changing gear but in my head (and if you bump me) I am IC. I rarely have the OOC conversation with someone I am with unless something that required OOC commitment is needed like time, limits etc.. And I loathe OOC dissection if IC things and at times I feel some what this more than RP.

 

So combine the two and add in prodding people and it can be good, with times of scarcity.

 

On and a thought/reflection, I go to the big events people provide and bring my RP. I know that at least the people there want to RP (target rich) and it's a good way to touch a few people then have some follow ups later. Don't just go along with the event, use it as a facilitator for YOUR RP.

 

really.. prod me if you see me.. anyone. We may RP hit it off or we may not.

 

One thing about me that you may not like is I tend to oocly fangirl about possible directions. Like I like to be in party with who I am roleplaying with so I can stay stuff flike

'Ooh that so neat, kyaah~' (minus the Kyaah, im no that bad) or stuff like 'd'aww she is so cute! I love that reaction'

[Nebbs]

One thing about me that you may not like is I tend to oocly fangirl about possible directions. Like I like to be in party with who I am roleplaying with so I can stay stuff flike

'Ooh that so neat, kyaah~' (minus the Kyaah, im no that bad) or stuff like 'd'aww she is so cute! I love that reaction'

 

 

Oh that's fine it's the... "Well X would do Y and then Z because she it totally bla bla bla".  Where the ooc becomes way more than the IC.

 

Don't tell me about what you might do.. do eeet!

[Rosekitten]

I like ooc'ly like talking about directions.. ^^ but the issue is most people i have met up with ic only meet one so it's kinda hard to ooc'ly plan further  The few that go stay in touch seem to kip so many details on things I might as well not bother doing the rp .w.

 

Like the other day I had agreed to teach someone how to use mrd skills ic'ly though this in my mind meant may a series of small mini rp sessions to get the training over with. To the other person this translated to one session and skipping the rest.

[Brave]

Ok a quick view from me..

 

Do something to be noticed, I will go for the person standing there to startup an RP but many do not. If you are not noticed you likely wont get in. So clothing, emote, talkk to an NPC.. do something that indicates you are here to RP.

 

Have hooks that people can catch on. Once the contact starts have some things that others can respond to. Lost your sister, looking for a woodcutter, where is a good place to stay, evil wizard tuned my dog into a frog.. etc. Initially this could be your personality or physique, I'm shy, I'm blind etc.. but that sort of things soon gets thin. Be prepared to RP more that your character's traits.

 

Give .. give.. give.. and then give some more. You will get back what you put in. I can say there is nothing worse than RPing at someone who just responds with a shrug or a one word answers or who does not give up any hooks or information. Ask questions, be a good listener, people love to talk about themselves and be prepared to do likewise.

 

Do stuff! If someone suggests checking out the ruins go along, not everything happens in a Tavern. Better still ask for people to help you visiting the Shrine of the Twelve or something.

 

And finally if you see a lone person who might be hesitent, go talk to them.

 

That was going to be a few bullets but .. well hey. Sorry it's a bit rushed, hopefully my points came across.

 

If you want to RP you can always give me a prod.. I'm beginner friendly and expert trouble.

Hey Naih'ir,

I've gotta second Nebbs on this.  A lot of people just need something to work off of.  Just like in real life, most of us aren't going to just up and walk up to someone and start a conversation (Unless we're uncharacteristically outgoing ><).  BUT if you do something abnormal to draw someone in it could help (and heck it might not need to be odd even).  Ordering food, or asking an NPC what's "Today's specials" might prompt discussion for example.  Or it may even segway into talking to others.

 

"No thanks Momodi... I think I'll let you keep brown slime jelly to yourself..." Brave Warden turned to the Miqo'te next to him.  "Do you eat here often?  I'm trying to find something tasty..."

 

I know that quiet characters are hard to engage but just because they aren't having a dialogue doesn't mean they can't be engaging too.  Sitting in the corner reading a book could lend itself to an easier RP opening if you say the title of the book or react to what your reading.

 

Beyond that... the only thing I can think of to recommend would be OOC talking things over regarding a plot.  It may not be as dynamic, but if you add people to your friends list who you tend to RP often with then it will be easier to promote your plot idea.  That or being part of an RP FC/attending an FC's event.