Every where I look it seems that people are always complaining how that their RPs never last long enough or how they died/ended too short for them. They might add some extra bells and whistles at the end and have some other words on the subject but in the end they just keep complaining about it and a few even just lead the site over it.

However, I never got that, for me the point of RPing is to enjoy it in the moment. Enjoy creating characters/nations, talking about histories, waiting for that reply post, forming collabs, etc. But at the end of it, if and RP dies I don't go like "This sucks. The RP should have lasted longer, this site is bullshit" but instead just accept it and move on since I enjoyed the time already in the RP, no matter if that time was 6 days or 6 months.

So yeah, am I the only one with this kind of thinking of not worrying about the long term life of an RP but just focusing on enjoying it for however long its going up without turning dour and sour if it dies?

@ClocktowerEchos Honestly, I agree with you. It might be because I've seen so many RPs die that I don't really get all emotional over it over it. I like to enjoy the moment, and forging bonds with other writers.

Because the real journey is the friends you make along the way.

\( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)/

First of all, if you're going to start a topic with a meme title, you need to use the picture:



Now with that out of the way...

Yes, I think it's childish to openly complain about "the site" when your RP or one you are participating in dies. Having said that, I can't pretend that I feel nothing when one dies when I haven't done my big reveal I was building towards. But I've gotten pretty good at recycling these arcs in new characters, and those ones are always the most satisfying to complete.

But if you're one of those "Johnny RP Seeds" who never sticks with an RP for longer than two weeks, this RP thing might not be for you.

I can understand people's frustration when certain RP's died. I, for one, was pretty miffed when a certain GM dropped all of hers at the same time while being part of two of 'em :V

That being said, I've not really felt all that angry about any other RPs who died. A bit disheartened, but I move on pretty quickly. If something keeps dropping I might just say 'Eff it, I can do this but better' and make an RP myself... which I've done exactly once, but the point stands.

Really depends on the timing the plot had died. I'd really prefer for a roleplay to go dead after the first event, you'd then get he satisfaction of "at least we got to this" However I'd hate for when the whole cast decides on an event then not get to it=roleplay dies, "You got me all hyped for nothing?(눈_눈) " Through the short experience of a roleplayer, I haven't gotten anywhere near an end of a roleplay so I haven't had a taste of being fulfilled ┐( ˘ ､ ˘ )┌, maybe if I did I'd be more frustrated ....φ(︶▽︶)φ....

many try to GM before they're ready to do it. Others end up having RL come and bite them. Its a fact of life. Some RPs simply aren't ready, or get the wrong players, or are released on the second full moon in a single month, which everyone knows means that it cannot survive. Or just things happen.

We personally hold to that its better to wait with release than to rush it. Our own RP is currently about a month after OoC release and not yet on IC stage. but then, its a big one and many of the players are still crafting sheets.

Roleplaying's a matter of the journey.

Problem is around here that sometimes the journey simply doesn't start or it lasts about 1 page and doesn't make it past the scene. Beyond that, I get something, an investment that creates a character foundation and some lore to work with for that character; before that, nah.

This is definitely a topic that comes up a lot when I read through a roleplay that I am looking to join. I tend to put a lot of effort into creating an interesting character and often times it feels like the character isn't given justice before before sent back to the vault. There have been many times I become immensely invested and either the other players lose interest or the GM does and each time I feel a sense of regret and anger toward the roleplay in general. I think they are warranted feelings and difficult to handle because many times the people who are the most hurt aren't prepared themselves to be a GM and protect the game. It is totally understandable for someone to become hurt and upset, but it is the sad reality that comes with the hobby. I have completed Roleplays before and there really is no greater feeling than putting "The End" as the final post and closing the chapter for those characters.

While I can agree that there's plenty of flaky GMs out there (this has far less to do with experience and more to do with them lacking depth and dedication, neither of which will truly be taught to you by experience), I find that another reason why the role-plays die a lot of the time is simply because the players lose interest or become 'busy'. Since I'm confident in my own abilities as a GM, it's become my first priority when creating a role-play to gauge the dedication and integrity of those wishing to be my players. I figure that those who're unwilling to go through the character sheet process (for example) probably aren't going to have the dedication for the role-play. I think the single most problematic thing that kills a role-play is people being whimsical. This is also why I generally create role-plays that are capable of surviving if one of two players bail on us.

Also, some people don't find it as easy to just view the role-play as a journey. Not only is it quite difficult to be satisfied with a journey that barely even started (which appears to be the mainstream of this site), but it's also a lot harder to be satisfied with a role-play coming to an end if you're the type of person (like myself) who doesn't find role-plays they're interested in easily. People who're genuinely dedicated to role-plays usually pick a thread because something about it clicks with them, and often go out of their way to create a character that means something to them too (which may or may not fit well into other role-plays). Simply watching all that fall apart and then needing to just look elsewhere can be very disheartening, and - frankly - I question the overall devotion as a player/GM of someone who could simply move on that easily.

I have the same approach. The mortality rate is inevitable, but how we personally handle it doesn't make it any less shitty. Of course it's best to make the most out of a bad situation, but therein lies the problem. A bad situation. Some people are just more prone to giving up and letting it bother them, but this isn't a RP mortality rate issue you're discussing. It's a problem of how people let things affect them.

That being said, it's shitty to hear people say "RPing is about the journey" after spending so much time on failed RPs. For some, it's not about the journey, but instead creating a fulfilling story that leads to some form of closure, and statements like that don't help. What you do is fine, but that doesn't stop it from being a real issue.

There's only so much one can do in the partner selection process, too. No matter how much people want to stick around, no matter how much promise people show, life sucks. Things will come up. And the chances of that happening only increase when more players join in. A good GM can work miracles and help ease the pain should players vanish, but that requires a competent GM; an issue which requires its own thread (and if you're in a 1x1 you're just screwed if the other person vanishes).

So, sure. We can make the most of it and continue our eternal search for a fulfilling story, but it's not for the faint of heart. Of course people will get upset. Of course people will complain. If you're able to deal with it, then that's great. Welcome aboard to the train of apathy and shitposting. It's just not that easy for those with different views on the subject.