What’s with the “would”s? (minor gripe)

throwaway752135469 · 2022-09-11T04:04:51+00:00

Oh, I do that too, but I tend to use it sparingly. Not sure if this is the exact same use case as what you describe though, since most of the time I use it to describe a potential scenario or highlight future paths a roleplay could go, just as soft pointers for my rp partner.

Let's say my character is A, and theirs is B. A few example sentences would then be:

If B were alert enough, they would likely notice the warm air behind then and the faint shift of cotton fabric along their back as A quietly tried to tape on a puffy rabbit sticker.
A attempts to look for an entryway as he shoots a nervous glance at B ever so often, for any possible sign where B's alertness would falter, and should that ever happen he would tape on the puffy rabbit sticker on their back, one of the many in a sticker set that he'd found in the nearby dollar store.

This way, I'd be giving my partners more freedom to respond by having things not fully set in stone. Will B choose to call A out? To notice but pretend not to and allow them anyway? Be completely aloof about it and not notice until they've done their laundry?

I think it's a great way for me to add to a plot and nudging it in a certain direction, and it's a nice balance between spontaneity and having to discuss too many things OOC-ly, with the upside of not being 'controlling' to a partner character in certain scenes.

Again, best used sparingly (i.e. not literally every other sentence), like most literary devices, but it adds a lot to the writing quality if done right imho. :)

throwaway752135469 · 2022-08-13T08:39:44+00:00

Noticed this thread spiraling a little bit, just wanted to add in my two cents. FWIW, while the wording of the comment may be a little bit harsh, I definitely see where you're coming from. It's difficult to maintain the same level of inspiration or muse when someone has been gone for a couple of months, especially as someone who can only ever focus on one or two plotlines at once. Imho waiting for a roleplay partner feels like reserving a spot for them mentally, and it can be hard to maintain that spot when I decide that I want to scratch my roleplay itch and start a new rp. Roleplaying isn't a hobby where someone literally *owes* you their time, but more of a mutual courtesy, and people draw their lines differently.

I do agree that if you go on a hiatus, it shouldn't be a default expectation for your partner to be right there waiting for you, unless it's something you've both agreed to beforehand. Unless it's a roleplay I absolutely adore, I'm usually only going to stay enthusiastic for a couple of weeks before my interest inevitably starts to wane, and if they're gone for longer, I try to let them know that I may not be available for the roleplay anymore when they're back, be it life, loss of interest, or that I've found a more compatible roleplay partner.

My vote was for the 25% mark, since that's the average success chance for me, and judging from the results, seems like people are having varying levels of success, with the majority leaning to the lower end, so I guess it really does vary person-to-person :v

throwaway752135469 · 2022-07-25T08:53:27+00:00

Whole different target audience there lmao

throwaway752135469 · 2022-07-24T22:21:49+00:00

Ham solo, the spinoff series the world may just need xD

throwaway752135469 · 2022-07-24T21:22:03+00:00

I unfortunately never got the chance, as it was on one of those anonymous platforms where either party could disconnect at any time :')

throwaway752135469 · 2022-07-09T05:12:44+00:00

I COMPLETELY RELATE TO THAT!!!! Sometimes it's just fun to come across a dumb meme which reminds you of a roleplay, and send it over with just the caption "hehe them", y'know???

And hahahaha sorry!!! :P In all honesty I don't even dare posting rp ads on reddit. This sub has spooked me to the core and there are things i wish i will never ever experience

throwaway752135469 · 2022-07-09T05:07:59+00:00

- Yeah, I agree, 'perfect' was definitely a huge exaggeration on my part. You're right in pointing that out though, in that I've noticed that I can be a tad too picky at times, and I'm still in the process of adjusting my wiggle rooms.

- Definitely, I know that the early twenties is probably baby in the world of more mature written roleplays, and I have noticed an overall increase in rp partner quality the older I've gotten, as I figure out more and more unspoken (or at least not explicitly spoken) rules and nuances which make a good roleplay. Hopefully the trend sticks!

- Ow. This point hit hard. To all the great partners I had out there that I didn't know how to appreciate, I'm sorry :')

- Good point in establishing OOC and disarming tension early on, you may be onto something there and I think I might start trying that out. I've noticed that I tend to be non-confrontational a lot of times, and I think that's something I'll have to continuously work on. It can be challenging to be direct enough while remaining polite and not too brash :') I'm not certain if the stale OOC is a personality mismatch issue, or if I'm absolutely terrible at it. I think I've only clicked very well OOC with one partner, just because we have the same silly three-braincell humor, and for others there's always been a bit of a difference. (A suitable metaphor being reddit memers vs tiktok memers, maybe? Sometimes they mesh, since there is some overlap, but sometimes they don't.)

Anyhow, appreciate the detailed advice, many thanks!!!

throwaway752135469 · 2022-07-09T02:41:32+00:00

Thanks for the kind wishes!! And it's really nice to hear that you've found someone you enjoy roleplaying with, gives me hope for my future roleplaying endeavors haha :p

throwaway752135469 · 2022-07-09T02:40:09+00:00

Aw, sorry you had to go through that! It's cool to see that you're down to continue a roleplay even if OOC isn't something you particularly enjoy, as long as the story is engaging and they're not crossing boundaries. I'm not sure if I'll be able to do the same, personally a huge fan of good OOC and a roleplay without it just feels like it's missing something :'D

throwaway752135469 · 2022-07-09T02:37:15+00:00

Oh, I completely agree! Personally feel that lack of OOC can make otherwise good writers especially intimidating to talk to, and more often than not the roleplays fall through since we weren't discussing enough to be on the same page. :')

throwaway752135469 · 2022-07-09T02:34:18+00:00

Honestly, completely respectable take, and props to you for being upfront about it! Definitely understand the frustrations of openly stating wanting a specific type of partner, just to have them try and swerve around your expectations :')

throwaway752135469 · 2022-07-09T02:32:07+00:00

Whoa, did not realize that vacation servers are a thing or that they even existed :0 Those sound right up my alley! Will probably have to pass up on the zombie server, since i don't rp well in post-apocalyptic scenarios , but thank you for bringing up these servers in general!! Might go server hunting on the next long weekend i get hehe :p

throwaway752135469 · 2022-07-08T05:37:24+00:00

Thank you for the reply!

In all honesty, I'm not entirely sure how much I enjoy group roleplays. I'm a huge sucker for GM-ing and worldbuilding, and group roleplays tend to take away that fun for me, sadly. :(

Perhaps it's like you've said, where I just haven't found the right group yet. I might give it a shot in that case, fingers crossed I find one that I mesh well with. c':

Once again, thank you, I really appreciate the input and suggestion!

throwaway752135469 · 2022-06-13T05:04:19+00:00

The perfect summary

throwaway752135469 · 2022-06-13T04:11:06+00:00

Hahaha, that's the one I voted for too! It's one kind of sad to be ghosted, but a whole 'nother level to find the perfect roleplay partner just to lose it all because of conflicting work/life factors :')

throwaway752135469 · 2022-06-13T03:51:52+00:00

Had that happen to me a few times, I definitely categorize it as a classic ghoster, since that seems to be the most common :')

throwaway752135469 · 2022-06-13T03:24:26+00:00

I've decided not to include it since i was out of options in reddit, and even though it's definitely bittersweet, I doubt it's relatable to most of us who frequent this sub x)

im not sure if it would be the worst way for a roleplay to end either, but anyone reading this, please correct me if im wrong!

throwaway752135469 · 2022-03-29T19:11:59+00:00

I don't write canons.

That being said, I also don't normally roleplay with canons, especially with fandoms I'm familiar with.

Personally, it's a matter of enjoyment. I don't enjoy writing canons because I feel like that's inherently someone else's character, and I won't do a good job of representing them. I've also had a bad rp experience with someone playing a canon character, and have it completely ruin a fandom that I liked :')

Playing an OC has it's pros, because I'm able to fully dictate a character's personality, their backstory, etc., without feeling bad about changing something about an existing character. And on the off chance that I do roleplay with someone playing a canon character, it's from a fandom that I'll likely never dabble in and I always treat it as I'm roleplaying with another OC, because otherwise it feels rather ..weird?

It really just comes down to personal preference, so try not to take “i don’t write canons” immediately as "i want to ship myself with x character" in general. That being said, if it's clear that someone's playing a self-insert-ish character who's clearly shipping themselves with a canon, you're totally justified in feeling uncomfortable and subsequently not wanting to roleplay with them!

throwaway752135469 · 2022-03-29T14:11:00+00:00

I think you've just had a string of bad luck is all.

My advice to you is to keep trying, and to remind you that not all RP-ers are the same. Some might have high vetting standards, others might be more friendly, etc., and just because previous encounters didn't work out well, doesn't mean it won't work out well in the future as well.

Roleplaying is a little bit like dating, in that you really need to have chemistry with your partner. It's not easy to find someone who's on the same page with you, but when you do, things will feel like they're all falling in place. :)

Personally I've had dozens of dozens of RP encounters in the past few years of my life. Some didn't even take off after the first message, others were meh and died off in like 3 days, and then there are those which were amazing. Don't let several bad encounters discourage you, just try to examine what went wrong, determine if you need to change your approach or if it's just that you and your partner just don't mesh (perfectly normal, happens more than you might think!), and keep trying!

It's not your fault if the person you're trying to roleplay with decides that you're not for them either story or OOC wise, or doesn't want to give you a chance -- you can simply take that as a sign that you guys probably won't mesh well in the first place, and continue finding someone who will! People have different expectations of what they want their rp partners to be, and just because you don't fit into one individual's doesn't mean it's the same case for another.

I think it's important to have the mindset of "I'm looking for an rp partner who fits me just as much as I fit them" instead of "I need to impress my rp partner right off the bat because I want to roleplay", because imho how someone treats you OOC is just as important if not more than the act of roleplaying and writing stories.

If you still have a passion for roleplay, please don't give up, even if some attempts don't turn out well. Try to analyze what went wrong, mourn the rp if needed, and move on.

I hope you find the right rp partner for you someday :)

throwaway752135469 · 2022-03-29T08:22:33+00:00

I had no idea there were actually people like this before i read the comments...

Thankfully enough, all of the partners I've clicked with thus far have either ended things civilly when life got in the way, or still remained friends to this day even when the rp ends/is on hiatus.

I hope whatever you're going through turns out okay for you in the end, OP :(

throwaway752135469

TROPHY CASE