RP's That..Don't Make It

[Crimson Flame]

All of the reasons listed in the poll have contributed to an RP's death in one way or another. I try not to drop out of an RP, but sometimes things happen... :/

[Brovo]

Eh'.

I guess I can give a truly sincere answer now.

Three simple steps to help stop the whole "RP's not making it" problem.
#1: Always take in twice as many as you need. Half of them will drop out in the three stages: Interest, character generation, first few posts.
#2: Always directly interact with and entertain your players. As a GM, you are just as much an entertainer as you are a leader. You have to engage the players in more than just telling them to post, otherwise, they'll forget. (Not saying that as an elitist GM--as a player in The Library, I sometimes forget to post myself. It simply happens.)
#3: Accept that your RP will die.

...Then go take the people who stuck with it to the end, ask them what you could have done better, tweak it, re-release it, reinvite the people who stuck it through to the end, don't accept the people who randomly dropped out on you again, and watch its survival chances increase by about 500%.

Seriously. Once you have the dedicated base of two or more players, time to refine your idea from a failure, and then you proceed to actively engage your players and always take in more than you need knowing you will lose some people? It's pretty much as good a chance as any RP is ever going to get for long-term survival.

Examples of this concept in action include Legend of Renalta, Stellar Empires, The IEF Venture, The Library, Apocalyptica, and the list goes on, and on, and on...

EDIT

If people want direct links to the RP's in question, let me know.

[Rilla]

Eh'.

I guess I can give a truly sincere answer now.

Three simple steps to help stop the whole "RP's not making it" problem.
#1: Always take in twice as many as you need. Half of them will drop out in the three stages: Interest, character generation, first few posts.
#2: Always directly interact with and entertain your players. As a GM, you are just as much an entertainer as you are a leader. You have to engage the players in more than just telling them to post, otherwise, they'll forget. (Not saying that as an elitist GM--as a player in The Library, I sometimes forget to post myself. It simply happens.)
#3: Accept that your RP will die.

...Then go take the people who stuck with it to the end, ask them what you could have done better, tweak it, re-release it, reinvite the people who stuck it through to the end, don't accept the people who randomly dropped out on you again, and watch its survival chances increase by about 500%.

Seriously. Once you have the dedicated base of two or more players, time to refine your idea from a failure, and then you proceed to actively engage your players and always take in more than you need knowing you will lose some people? It's pretty much as good a chance as any RP is ever going to get for long-term survival.

Examples of this concept in action include Legend of Renalta, Stellar Empires, The IEF Venture, The Library, Apocalyptica, Allaria, and the list goes on, and on, and on...

EDIT

If people want direct links to the RP's in question, let me know.

FTFY. Has the propensity to only die if something happens in my RL. Like the throwaway Ch. 2, I recently started and killed.

Also.

Definitely this. For the most part, I try and keep my players entertained and involved, helps build the dynamic. Otherwise they get bored, I get bored, and things are an all around bad time.

[Skallagrim]

If the story itself is interesting but there is a lack of effort from the players or the GM I tend to lose interest rapidly. As Brovo mentioned, if the GM is not vested in their own RP, it translates down and as a player I no longer care if the GM shows no real desire/interest.

Tell me a story and let me play in the sand box is all I ask, if both happen I will stay vested and help the GM propel the game forward.

[Frokane]

I think its when important players who have made a very strong tie to the structure of the RP drop out.

Like one of the players who has become the headstrong leader of the group suddenly vanishes it just leaves everyone feeling like... wut?