Settings, Themes, & You (Yes You! You right there!)

[Disciple Cain]

Sekirei? I'm thinking I should check it out a bit, but even then I probably don't need to because if the main character is Mr. Dresden then that's what's important. :3

Edit: And just from the first few paragraphs you really have caught his voice here. I'm thoroughly impressed... I couldn't hope to write something like it as I'm just so bad at the whole... 'diversity in word choice thing' I guess, but... eh. I make up for it by being really good at writing by the seat of my pants anyway.

[Vanathor]

My diction is pretty good, as is my attention to detail. My main problem is grammar, and occasionally not typing a word that should be there in the middle of a sentence because my brain decides to work faster then my fingers. Well that and laziness. I am a lazy bastard which does not help.

[Disciple Cain]

The laziness thing is a killer, so because of that... instead of writing actual stories like that I tend to just spin tales and tell the stories... so I end up being a tabletop DM instead of a novelist because of the ability to write by the seat of my pants and not too much else. But, hey, it's still well put together and quite fluid I'd say. :3

[Tomaru]

I generally don't enter RPs where I don't have superpowers, am not terribly interested in school roleplays (I can go to school in real life), and don't do romance as the sole focus of the RP. other than that, I'm pretty open-minded.

[Silux]

I generally prefer roleplays and settings in far ends of the scale. I love sci-fi and fantasy settings, but prefer them to be dark in nature.

Dark fantasy / Low fantasy > High Fantasy in my opinion. I prefer settings which have an element of realism about them, and less of the flamboyant and overpowered nature found in High fantasy. You may ask me why I even like fantasy at all if I am more partial to Low/Dark genres - the answer to that is that as much as I dislike the idea of elves, gnomes, fairies and common magic, I still prefer the creative freedom afforded by fantasy and sci-fi as a whole set of genre's. Modern settings restrict you to a set few cultures and idioms, alongside technology boundaries... I don't like the restriction.

The same applies for Sci-fi settings; the fewer whacky aliens the better. A good sci-fi that appeals to me is one that focuses on human struggle and interaction, so that we can play out the future of of our race in all it's glory or it's disastrous moral low-ground in an imagined future. I would also argue that the inclusion of many races of diverse aliens is an overused concept, and I do not get drawn into a setting through clichéd and overused ideas.

In terms of established settings versus original settings, I would definitely vote in favour of original settings. Obviously this does not mean that you should spare any expenses in writing your world to be detailed and incredibly fleshed out, but fandom worlds always seem to have 2 problems as far as I am concerned: Canon and Restriction.

Every pre-established universe or setting is going to have it's own storyline that cannot be changed. Most settings should have a storyline that is solid and well written, but canon worlds have a strange property in that they have storylines which everybody already knows the outcome, which in turn subconsciously diverts the flow of a game to adhere to this pre-established structure or set of rules that the canon universe defines. An original universe will be new and unique, and nobody but you will know how the story will go. This means that your players will really be able to define your world rather than just fill it as they will act with less restriction on the gameplay.
An original universe, in my opinion, is also inherently less restrictive due to this, allowing you and your players to exercise more creative freedom.

Anyway, t'is my opinion on the matter. Look forward to seeing what you do with this research

[Vanathor]

Awesome everybody. Thanks for hit the help, you guys rock

[Asuras]

I prefer sci-fi, fantasy, and paranormal settings. I'm roleplaying to escape and have fun, not to lead a realistically different life. With a big imagination, it's difficult to fit ideas I have and wish to be expressed into hard sci-fi or low fantasy (though the latter usually allows for more freedom than the former). I can deal with more realism in these settings, and I'm perfectly fine with them, however I must say once more that they simply are not my preferred settings. Grandiosity and imagination are boundless, and so I like to have boundless settings with which to actively shape my imagination through writing, as well as interact with other players using this this imagination (writing a story single-handedly in order to play out ideas is not as fun as being able to share them with others and see how they react/interact with them).

To add to this, I prefer more mature, darker themes. Overly cutesy settings like gag-roleplays or simple university settings (or rather, simple paranormal university settings) without any gloominess, melancholy, or otherwise dark natures is too boring. I cannot interact with other players for a long amount of time if it's happiness and friendship 24/7. However, I cannot do the same if there is absolutely nothing but darkness, either. It's a balance.

World-building is fun and all, but generally allows for high-fantasy and soft sci-fi settings to go to extremes. It is in our nature to make powerful things (at least, as far as I've seen) without regard to balance. Things can get out of hand in a very short amount of time, especially if there are multiple players involved. I prefer a pre-set world developed by a GM, rather than a purely open-world basic setting in which participants can create and mold everything every which way they please. Things become too hectic then. It is nice if the GM allows for their player's ideas to be put it with moderation and consideration, nevertheless.

[Hagazussa]

I tend to prefer established settings to original ones unless the original ones have allot of work behind them. I like to get very detailed with my characters and I do like to play off the setting information allot so I really enjoy a huge setting that give me allot to work with. My favorite genres are horror, drama, mystery and adventure, I am not so high on romance and action but a bit of it mixed in with other themes woks wonderfully.

As for settings I like anything with supernatural elements, so science fiction, horror, fantasy, paranormal romance, superhero anything really that have supernatural elements. My favorite themes here are magic and vampires but allot of other kinds of creatures and supernatural phenomena also catch my interest.

I like detailed stories where bits and pieces from the character's lives are included, not just the go out and fight the monster part but also them talking or having tea. As for characters I often play scarred characters who have suffered some horrible trauma in their past which still affect them today, but I can play any kind of character as long as they are supernatural in some way shape or form.