03-13-2008
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Keeping it Alive
So, I am sure we are all aware of the ensuing epidemic that is plaguing roleplays across the board. Realms are dropping like flies to this plague. The role play death rates appear to be climbing and there is no horizon in sight!
So here is my proposal as a series of ways to help combat this plague and reduce roleplay mortality rates:
Maintain Activity Roleplays die partly because they become inactive. Lots of things lead to this:
If the author is enforcing a posting order (as I do in my roleplays) then perhaps it's because whomever is next is not posting. As the author you need to set a standard - say, if you don't post within one week of your turn starting without reason we will push to the next poster and you can post when you get a chance. But accepting this as a rule if someone gets 'left behind' it's their own fault. In roleplays where interest is failing it could be because you are at a lull in the action - maybe nothing is happening and as a player/author on your next post maybe you need to relight the fires of excitement. Part of keeping a roleplay alive is keeping it entertaining. Sometimes stories take wild turns that no one expected that can even cause people to leave a roleplay. This is something that can be hard to avoid - especially in themed roleplays like those based on existing worlds such as Harry Potter or Final Fantasy VII - not much can be done, the author can step in and request a post change but that's really the extent of it. A big way to help stop roleplay death is to be active and keep contact going. If you are a player and plan on leaving PM the author of every roleplay you are in and let them know. When someone goes inactive, especially if they have an important role, it can kill a thread. Take an extra five minutes to write your character out of the RP (not kill necessarily but at least relieve the tension of your sudden departure). This will go along way to keeping things rolling. Don't Overextend We all have done this, I imagine. Signing up to more than you can handle before you realize what you have done. As players and authors you need to be consciously aware of everything you are committed to, and commitments you have in other parts of life as well. If exam period is coming up next month signing up to that new fantasy RP that looks so cool may not be the best idea as you may expect to be inactive for the majority of the following month. It may be hard not to hop in on it, but perhaps waiting until you can guarantee you can commit to it is better for everyone. Just be aware of what you are getting into, and if you dig in too deep let the players know in the OOC and the author know privately (to make sure they are informed) and take the big leap of writing your character out of the RP. This way your departure won't leave the RP within an untied loose end. Accept and End I am speculating that this is a problem based on another discussion in the Off-Topic area. I imagine that some roleplays die simply because they will not end any other way. As a thread author sometimes it's important to realize that the story will reach a climax and conclusion just like any good story and to notice when they are coming up. This is more of an issue for long standing RPs that survive the test of time, patience and inactivity. Some roleplays will only end by inactivity and death - in these cases you can't get upset that it ended because it was going to happen sometime. If you got 20, 30 pages of posts and a good solid plot line developed and reach some form of conclusion you did well, if things were still loose and it starts dying maybe you need to start trying to wrap it up. When things look grim don't let the roleplay flounder and burn up, take it down gently and with conclusion. It feels better as a player and author when things are resolved and loose ends are tied up than when things just end. Just imagine reading a really good book and being about 2 chapters from the end and finding the last 100 pages blank. That's roleplay death - when those pages are there that's roleplay conclusion. Different ends, aim for conclusion and recognize when it's due. Final Thoughts As I am sure you can tell I have really only been focusing on the case where a roleplay dies due to inactivity which I feel is caused by persistence and desire to continue the story indefinitely. A lot of what I had to say applies to more general cases, and a lot of my ideas involve maintaining regular presence and activity and a level of commitment to what you sign up for. Just be active, let people know when you wont', and whenever things come near an end be sure to wrap it up like a good story and don't leave anything hanging loose.
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04-03-2008
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Wow, this will help. thanks! Im going to go ressurect my threads!
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04-04-2008
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You're my hero ^^ This is the best study I've ever seen.
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I will not kill you... in all technicality time will kill you. I'm just a contributing factor ~ Damarian Vasilis Zaccheo I do not get moody. I get murderous ~ Saigyn [A Guest?] ~ Advanced -Arlix- [The Five Lights] ~ Advanced -Laeris Etheral Jostish- -Valcenz- [Dove's Bane] ~ Advanced -Alloyscious Haryiel- [Labyrinth] ~ Advanced -Triton Ochayne Demisou-
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09-08-2008
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Great article Candi! :3 But I'd like to add one more if I may. In my years of forum role playing, the main reason of this:
Quote:
Advancing the story could be anything ranging from putting your own characters into trouble or passing the puck to another character that you have in mind. (i.e: tripping in the middle of combat in front of another player character, prompting him to act/post next). We need a carrot to bait other player's involvement and help each other out in sparking that idea for a post.
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09-21-2008
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Right, here's a few tricks for GM's to keep their game alive (based on personal experience here):
1) Give players freedom to create the gaming world as well: Everyone has ideas when they first created their characters, and these ideas often mix (or clash) with whatever setting that we have established in the game. Let them help you in creating the gaming world so they'll have something to look forward to. Letting the players control important NPC will greatly ease any dialogue sequence that they have in their heads and will create a much more interactive environment. Just don't let it get out of hand too much. 2) Time hops and god modding: Sometimes when the game is getting a bit slow or the characters are too spread out to even interact properly with each other, introduce a time hop to the future and group the characters together again. 3) We need something new: As mentioned above, the players need something new to play with. Create a new encounter and vary them a little. Don't make all of them skirmishes and fights, instead put something different like a treasure hunt, a gambling event, or even a masquerade ball. 4) Keep everyone together: When the characters are together, it's easier for them to interact. These interactions promotes post from the players and makes the game much more active. All of these are GM actions, yet it's not impossible for a player to implement them as well. I suppose there is a fifth to the list: 5) Use the OOC! Everyone needs to discuss (or simply fool around) concerning the game and keep in constant check with the GM with what is allowed and what isn't. I suppose the most important part about OOC is building up a friendship with the other players so that everyone will care about the game and won't let it die. If the GM keeps taking steps to keep the game from dying or stagnate, it'll show and the players will do so as well.
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